


Forgotten Pieces

by Ruunkur



Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-28 08:30:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 91,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17179466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: A series of miscellaneous one-shots, partial stories, and ect, that sit incomplete or not expanded upon.Written during: Dec 2017 - Dec 2018





	1. A Moment's Notice

**Author's Note:**

> This is me cleaning out some of my incomplete stories/one-shot ideas that never got posted. Relevant information to each story shall be placed in the A/N notes at the beginning of each chapter. Enjoy! And, who knows, some of these I may come back to.
> 
> Specifically, these are things written from the end of December 2017 to now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're offered to go on a trip.
> 
> You can't wait to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written to "Alone Together by Fall Out Boy"
> 
> Featuring: Takeru Takaishi

Takeru closed his eyes, letting out a low breath. His room was a mess, clothes scattered every which way as he stared at his suitcase.

It was nearing midnight and he was still so frantic, the voice and conversation ringing in his mind.

_"I know it's late, but do you want to go with us?"_

The question had left him on the edge of confusion. So much had happened in the past several months. Patamon lay, sleeping on the bed.

He dropped his gaze to the phone that had the instructions pulled up, a smile spreading over his face. There had been blood on the pavement, blood in his hair. And it was painful, to think of everything that he would have to deal with. But this, this he could escape with.

He pulled several more pairs of underwear out of his dresser, shoving them in the suitcase and throwing in another shirt.

When he looked in the mirror, he could see the blood still on his face, in his hair. He wanted nothing more to scrub at the places, to shut down and to just, stop.

But he forced himself to move on, finish packing his suitcase. His D-3 went into his pocket, while his D-terminal was placed in the suitcase, turned off. He went back to his phone, picking it up with a shaky hand.

_"You see, we plan on leaving. It won't do much, but a new start."_

The call had come in three hours prior, when Takeru had still been trying to wash off the blood. It had been gone a month prior, but he still felt it. Still felt it lingering on his skin, refusing to come off. Now, the call had given him something to reach for.

When he was ready, he reached out, touching Patamon's back. The digimon frowned, trying to push himself deeper under one of Takeru's stray shirts. He just shook his head, pulling it off the digimon.

"Hey, what's the meaning?" Patamon asked, blinking his large, innocent eyes up at Takeru.

Takeru smiled at him, swallowing back the wave of fear. A month wasn't long, not at all. But, he could push away the fear that would rise up in the back of his throat.

"We're going on a trip," Takeru responded.

"To the digital world?" Patamon asked through a yawn, already scrambling to sit on the older teenager's head.

Takeru almost was tempted to shake his head in response. "No, we're going to go somewhere else. You see, you and I have been invited on a trip."

"What sort of trip?" Patamon asked.

_"We don't know where we're headed yet. Maybe going to America, meet up with Wallace. We both just, we need out of Japan, Takeru. And we want you to come with."_

"I don't know," Takeru responded, "it's going to be a new adventure."

Patamon blinked, moving so he could meet Takeru's gaze. "Who are we going with?"

"Daisuke and Ken," Takeru responded.

Patamon let out a huff. "Even after what happened?"

They hadn't known that partner digimon could bleed like that. With the worlds merging, the digimon were becoming more than just data. They could still evolve and devolve, just like before. But they bled, bright, garish colors.

_"Patamon's even welcome, if he wants to join us."_

"You can stay with Yamato, if you would like. I'm sure he would be welcome to the company."

Patamon gripped tighter to Takeru's hair, shaking his head. "I want to come with you!"

Takeru laughed, grabbing the handle of his suitcase. He pressed a number on his phone, having collected it from the bed.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I'll be headed out in a couple of minutes. Thank you, for inviting me," Takeru breathed, feeling himself become light as he slipped out of his mother's apartment. There was a note pinned to the fridge, an assurance that he would be back.

"Great! We'll be at your train station shortly. I'm so glad you and Patamon decided to come join us, Takeru."

Daisuke's voice filled him with warmth and Takeru smiled, walking onto the quiet street.

"Thank you for inviting me," he murmured, the phone call ending.

They would be okay, they had to be okay, even if they didn't know where they were going.


	2. The Unnamed Organization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Daisuke Motomiya, Original Characters, Yamato Ishida, Taichi Yagami.
> 
> TW: None that I can think of? I didn't read/ilght edit before posting tbh.
> 
>  
> 
> The main basis is that Daisuke is part of this organization that gave them code names, "Project Sting, XV, Angel(cat and pig respectively), ect and he had broken away and started a farm. This is a high end project, known only as the "Digital Project"

"You know, that no matter what happens, we'll always be able to find each other, right?"

The brown haired teenager shifted from foot to foot as the blonde spoke, his gaze darting across the two that stood before him. Their hands were linked, the fires raging behind them. It was on death's doorstep, the world seeming to crumble around them, that they found themselves.

They had known it was coming, but none of them had expected it this soon. They all still wanted time-

"How would we know if it is each other?" The blue haired man ask, chin length hair swishing and hiding his gaze eyes behind a curtain. The blonde haired teenager shared an uneasy glance with the two, swallowing back the unspoken fears that plagued him.

"We'll know!" The brown haired teenager spoke up, the first time in a while since they had come to the conclusion that they would die that night. He offered them a strained smile, something that the other two could not depict lurking in his eyes. He stepped forward, bringing them into a hug. "We'll always know each other, no matter what!"

They heard the laughter, the blonde stepping back and picking up his staff. The brown haired teenager saw the blue haired teenager glow with energy and he sighed, letting the energy consume him. 

They would fight to the death, they would find each other.

_Even in death, we shall be reunited._

He shuddered as he heard the prophetic words, his body seeming to burst against his will as the fight began, though the end had already been spoken.

***

Daisuke eased back on the reins in his hand, looking at the right horse's head before nudging it with the lightest touch to turn inward. The mower ran next to him, the sound comforting as he nodded along to the pace of the hooves. It was early June, the sun shining down on him as he maneuvered the horses forward.

Each breath he breathed reminded him that he was at peace, after several long years of service to an organization, he had been grateful to see the back of it. Even now, he still woke sweating, the nightmares haunting him in a way that he wouldn't have thought possible.

He turned his head when he heard the car come up the driveway, slowing the horses to a halt and stood up, taking in the car. He brought the radio that was in his pocket to his mouth, letting out a sharp hiss.

"Sam, you up?"

He waited thirty beats, growing almost annoyed when the static continued to crackle. He pressed down the call button, letting it ring until he heard a very disgruntled voice answer him.

"Day off boss."

Daisuke sighed. "Yeah Sam, sorry about this. Meet me in the barn. I need you to either take over mowing for me, the lower right field, or for you to unharness Pete and Lady. Someone showed up."

There was a grumble that echoed through as Sam pressed the button down too fast. "Day off boss," she reminded him.

He smirked. "Jake is hopeless, you know Pete doesn't like him. Please?"

He glanced up as he heard the front door open, watching a figure stumble out. He turned the horses towards the house, pausing long enough to unsure that the mower was off and the bar was up before he continued on. He watched the horses take a sniff of the air, Pete dead stopping as Sam jogged over to them, frowning as Lady flicked her tail, moving to take a step back.

"Whoa!" Daisuke pulled on the reins as the horses snorted, Sam moving to grab hold of the lines in front. The pair looked at each other, Daisuke hopping down from the mower and beginning to unhook them, lines held losing in his hand as he worked.

"Are we expecting someone this early?" Sam asked, taking a step closer to Daisuke and lowering her voice when he got the pair off the machine. He shook his head, standing by Pete's side and resting a hand on his flank. He heard car doors slam, his frown deepening.

"We shouldn't be expecting anyone until that Jonathan kid comes in two weeks." Daisuke glanced over his shoulder, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the men dressed in suits.

Sam took them in, snorting. "Who the fuck wears suits to a farm?"

Daisuke glanced down at his own cut off overalls, his flannel having been repaired more than once and his mismatched socks poking out from the top of his shoes. "I have a feeling they didn't realize what they were getting themselves into," he observed.

"I'll get these two into the barn. Will you want me...?" She frowned, watching as Daisuke sighed.

"You know where I keep the cash, right?" He asked.

"Daisuke, what's wrong?" Sam reached forward, resting a hand on his shoulder as the two men in suits started to walk towards them.

Daisuke glanced back at Sam, feeling a pain in his heart. "If I don't come back, the code is zero two nine eight to my office safe. There'll be documents in there. A copy of the farm in your name, the papers that will get the work accounts into your name, all of that."

"Hey, Dai, what's...?" She tightened her grip on the reins as Pete tossed his head, Daisuke walking around the front and resting his hand on the mule's snout.

"Hey there old boy, it's okay." He soothed, his voice gentle as Pete's ears flicked back, laying almost flat against his skull. He reached a hand out to Lady's snout, stroking it gently as he considered the options before him. "Don't ask questions. If I don't come back in two weeks, get into the safe and change everything. Then burn the original copies with my name on it."

"Got it," Sam said with a nod, turning and tugging on the lines. Pete's head moved, Lady's head swinging up to watch as the two men in suits came closer. Daisuke stepped out of the way, watching as Sam drove the horses out of the field and towards the barn, away from the two men in suits.

"Good morning, can I help you?" Daisuke asked, turning his attention to the two men. He trekked across the field, shoving his hands and the small radio into his pocket as he did so.

"We're looking for Motomiya Daisuke,"

He shuddered at the words, his gaze darting from the blond to the dark haired man.

"Can I ask what this is about? We're in the middle of haying season and I can't have a field of cut hay laying about if it's going to rain tomorrow." Daisuke glanced at the sky, watching the clouds in a distance. "Eh, probably tonight."

"The institute requires the project XV to return to online mode."

Daisuke felt his hands tremble in his pocket as he heard the words, pressing the radio button down and hoping beyond hope that Sam would just listen.

"None of those words make sense to me." He scoffed. "Look, it's just me, my animals, some grass, and my two interns. No project whatever."

The blond haired man moved, Daisuke flinching back as he pulled out something from his pocket. He saw the pendent drop in front of him, the lump in his throat swelling as his hands began to shake.

"I've been put aside, what the fuck do you want from me?" Daisuke demanded, narrowing his gaze and forcing himself to be steady. Fifteen years of peace, fifteen years of nightmarish dreams. Fifteen years to learn a way of living that was simple. He watched the pendent swing in front of him as the other man glanced at his partner.

"Honestly, it won't be bad," he said, voice soothing as he stepped forward, taking the pendent and placing it around Daisuke's neck. He felt his mind snap, his free hand coming to grip at the object as he tried in vein to rip it off, to free himself from the influence.

Memories came crashing back like a tidal wave, his hand never leaving the talk button on the radio as he let out a ear piercing screech. He saw Yamato share a glance with Taichi, the blond running a hand through his hair.

"They always scream when they get reactivated."

"You screamed like a little girl _and_ fainted."

"My bets are that he still-"

Both men jumped out of the way as Sam came running down the driveway, letting out a curse. The tall horse that Daisuke had been driving so calmly just moments before was running as if its life depended on it. Yamato moved to pull Daisuke out of the way, watching as the horse cleared the man in a single jump and continued on to the forest.

Sam pulled her hat off with a curse, throwing it to the ground. Taichi sighed, moving to pull Daisuke off the ground and stumbled under his weight. Yamato moved to help, the pair looking at each other. They get Daisuke into the back of the car, Taichi pulling out of the driveway and leaving behind the disgruntled animals.


	3. Soulmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That one destined lovers' idea.
> 
> Pairings: Taichi Yagami/Koushiro Izumi  
> Characters: Same as above  
> TW: Implied Character Death

It had been years, and you sometimes still saw the faded name on your wrist and would wince. It had appeared two days before the name had faded and you would never know the person that you were fated to be with. Sometimes, you wish it had never appeared at all.

They would only appear if you walked past the person you were fated to be with.

Sometimes, a person would get lucky and get a second name, after the first faded without explenation.

You had met the first just two days before he had been killed.

It had been seven years ago, to the day, that the name appeared.

And, while you were staring at your wrist, you see the elegant script seem to carve itself into your arm, writing a new name.

When you look up, you see the smiling face of a stranger, your wrist hidden by sleeves the moment the name started to appear.

"I'm Taichi," the stranger says, sitting across from you.

"Koushiro," you say with a hesitant smile and you hope that the name stays this time.


	4. Digigods Reincarnated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gods are reincarnated into the souls of children. The six factions gain power for each god that has reawakened. (...or something like that. Honestly, I can't recall what the purpose of this story was meant to be.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> None of these are edited, just saying that once more in case anyone forgot. I think I was working on this one before I set it aside for the Roommates AU.
> 
> Note: "prof" is my short hand for professor cause I am a lazy writer.

"Long ago, six gods roamed the earth. These gods were beings with unimaginable power-"

"What happened to them?"

"Well, the human race-that is to say our long ago ancestors-grew to fear these gods. They believed that they would be the downfall. And so, they found a way to kill the gods."

"But gods can't die!" The child looked up at the speaker with wide eyes.

"Gods can die," the speaker says, softly. They reach out a hand, touching the child's hair with a smile. "They just take a different death than you or I would. Gods die when people no longer believe in them. Without the prayers, they fade away. So, we began to wage a war against the six gods. They were quick to fight back. But humans are persistent. We are every bit as powerful as a god. With their temples destroyed, they were left out to rot. And thus, the gods were destroyed."

"But you worship them," the boy says, crossing his arms. "They can't be dead if someone worships them."

"We worship the concept of what they were. We have depictions of what they were as spirits. We can defer from those small pieces of information of what they were like. But, from those pieces of information, we were told that the gods would rise again."

"Rise again?" The boy tips his head, looking at the man. "How would they rise again?"

"Thousands of years after their fall, they would be reborn into a world that would not understand them. These six children will change the world." The man explains, moving to adjust how his hood fell across his back.

"There's more to it then that, isn't there?" The child asked, fiddling with the front of his jacket. "I'm getting bored and it's cold in here Kyran,"

"I know, we're almost done here." Kyran promised, reaching a hand out to the child. "The six silent factions are just waiting for their gods to be reborn. When they're reborn, the world will be shaken to its core."

"Why are you telling me this?" The child asked finally, taking the hand that Kyran offered. He's pulled to his feet, Kyran turning to look at him solemnly.

"Because it's my duty to pass the information off to you, Yamato." He says, voice quiet. "Do you remember the six gods' names?"

"They were attributed to six creatures." Yamato says slowly. "Garuru, the wolf of friendship; Lily, the flower of purity, Grey, the dinosaur of courage; Ikkaku, the sea monster of sincerity; Garuda, the bird of love; and... I don't remember the Knowledge god."

Kyran smiles. "You're young yet and you're doing well for remembering. Kabuteri, the insect of knowledge. Do you know which one we follow?"

"Grey," Yamato says, blinking up at him.

"Yes," Kyran says, kneeling down in front of Yamato. "One day, you will meet more people from the other factions. You will be able to interact and learn more than you ever thought. Until that day, you will stay with us and learn."

"Why can't I meet them sooner?" Yamato asked. "The caverns are so stuffy."

"I know," Kyran says softly. "But we have to make sure that everything is correct when you meet the others. Until that time, you'll stay with us. Perhaps you can visit your brother?"

"He's still sick," Yamato said quietly, shaking his head.

"Then you and I will go somewhere and enjoy ourselves." Kyran decides, tugging Yamato down one of the less used pathways. Yamato followed, gaze sliding up the walkway curiously. "Depictions, of the old gods." Kyran explains. "At the end of the pathway lies the temple to Grey. Very few dare tread inside, for fear that the old god will wake and destroy us. Of course, it's impossible for Grey to do that,"

"Who's your favorite?" Yamato asked.

"Favorite what?" Kyran asked.

"God," Yamato responds. "You work under Grey, but who do you like the most?"

"I really value the work that Garuru did," Kyran admits. "It was by a slight chance that I did not get to join his following and I ended up in Grey's. It was said that the two of them were close friends however."

"Do the factions work well together?" Yamato asked.

"Of course," Kyran says with a nod. "Now, any other questions before I show you one of the original temples of Grey?" The two of them had stopped outside large stone doors. Yamato looks up at them, eyes wide with wonder when he sees the carving of the skull wearing dinosaur.

"Yes," he says, nodding.

Kyran smiles, stepping up and opening the doors. "Welcome to the sanctuary of Grey."

****

Yamato gazes up at the statue, shuffling to the side when he hears the footsteps.

"Are you sulking in here again?" Kyran asks, stepping behind him and letting his gaze settle on the statue.

"I am not sulking," Yamato snaps, turning to glower at Kyran.

"You have a meeting with the council in five minutes and no one can find you. I find you staring at a statue, as if it will give you the answers." Kyran says, letting out a sigh. "What's going on in your head Yamato?"

"I don't want to do it," he says with a shrug. "How hard is that for the council to understand?"

"You would pass up the chance to have a normal teenage life?" Kyran asks with a frown.

"No, I want to do that..." Yamato sighs. "I do not want it to be because they think they can offer it to me. What is it that they want from me?" He asked, turning to look Kyran in the eyes. "Why do they try so hard for me to be happy?"

"They think that you can save them Yamato," Kyran says quietly. "Long ago, they received word from the servants of the past gods. The new gods would be reborn and they will herald the new beginnings."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Yamato asked, turning his gaze back up to the statue. "I never have felt any connection to that of Grey. Every meeting they have me sit in...every time they make me do something for them, it feels wrong."

"If it is not-" Kyran began.

"And who would you rather serve, if you could choose the faction yourself?" Yamato demands.

"That is something of an interesting question. But don't you know the answer Yamato?" Kyran asked, tipping his head. "The council believes that you would be better off outside the caverns. It is a choice they offer to all of those that grow up here."

"And my brother?" Yamato inquired, voice icy. "He never got a chance. When he was sick they-"

"Left him to die?" Kyran asked quietly. "They took him to a hospital, where they had to leave them. Children don't just resurface in the lands above without question. They made the choice so that he would have a better life."

"Why wasn't I told?" Yamato demands, turning to glare at Kyran. "I've spent years-"

"It was not a wise choice they made." Kyran says, shaking his head. "I wish that they had told you the truth. Would you have been better off, knowing that he was alive?"

"I...don't know," Yamato says finally. "I'll go meet with the council then."

"Thank you," Kyran said quietly, watching him walk away.

 

 

Chapter One

"And with the rise of the-"

Yamato stepped isnide the room as the teacher speaks, glancing towards her with an apologetic look. "Is this class room A-201, history of the Relic Wars?"

"It is, and who might you be?" She asks, setting her book aside to study Yamato.

"Ishida Yamato, new student. My apologies for being late, I was speaking with the headmaster. The appointment ran longer than expected." Yamato explains, walking over and handing her the pass he had been given.

"Take any seat you wish, we're on page eighty nine," she says, handing him a book from her desk. "As I was saying... With the rise of the six false gods, humanity began..."

Yamato takes his seat as the teacher talks, flipping to the correct page and scanning over the text. His gaze flips up to the teacher, listening but not hearing her words. Ten minutes later, she breaks class off for discussion, breaking him out of his revere when someone turns their attention to him.

"Yamato, right?"

"Yeah...and you are?" He asked, turning his head to the other teenager.

"Koushiro Izumi, it's a pleasure to meet you." He says, holding out his hand. Yamato takes it after a moment, giving it a quick shake before pulling his hand back. "What is your take on the faction wars?"

"It's bullshit that they were ever fully able to pull out all the faction members that went underground." Yamato said, flipping through the book on his desk. "They're talking about nearly a hundred thousand believers."

"One or two sects would have managed to go undetected, that's true." Koushiro says with a nod.

"A group of people, no more than twenty, no less than five, would have been able to sneak by undetected for years." Yamato says, tapping his fingers against the book. "I think several groups of factions rom all the factions managed to sneak by, undetected."

"An interesting theory," Koushiro said, leaning back in his chair. "Not unfounded, but not proven either. If they had gone underground, they would have eventually needed to return to gather supplies for living. Or, they would have eventually died out due to lack of pregnancies and children continuing their groups' legacy."

"That's if they wren't actively recruiting people from the shadows." Yamato returns.

"Okay, so there is a possibility that several groups survived, and have been hiding underground and growing. But, that still debates the question of where would they find areas large enough to host these groups?" Koushiro grins, watching as Yamato shrugs.

"Old underground systems," he said. "Not the most stable, but shorn up, they can hold up."

"You've put a lot of thought into this." Koushiro says, hands folded in front of him. "I'm sure the teacher may find your thoughts on the matter different than others that she heard."

"I'm sure she would too, but let's not go walking around with them, shall we?" Yamato says. "Besides, no one has to actually offer up their view points, do they?"

"No, it just gives us several minutes in class to talk to the other students. Professor Adrea believes it's best that we discuss our personal believes amongst each other with words rather than fists."

"Professor Adrea, huh?" Yamato taps a finger against his cheek, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "I supposed, if one wants to think that way. Does it really help with how people interact with each other?"

"It makes people less prone to fighting." Koushiro shrugs. "Besides, I am rather fond of using words myself."

"How long have you been at this school?" Yamato asked.

"Three years or so," Koushiro responded. "It's the best in the nation, according to my parents."

Yamato nods, turning his attention to the board as Professor Adrea began to write. Koushiro writes down the homework and you make note of it, shoving the book that was for class purposes into your bag.

"Enjoy your day," Professor Adrea calls, the bell ringing.

"It's almost lunch time, would you like to join my friends and I?" Koushiro asks.

Yamato glances at him, shaking his head. "I'm sure there are things I'd rather be doing. I have a room to go find."

"Very well, enjoy your day!" Koushiro walks out, Yamato watching him every step of the way before he looked at the piece of paper, glancing at his assigned room. It's a moment later before he walks out as well, heading to the dorms.

****

"So you met the new kid?"

Koushiro glances up from his book, watching the eyes of his friend. "If you bothered to show up for class, you probably would have met him as well." He offers.

"It's a boring class." The boy snorts. "What do I have need of for...what's the name again?"

"History of the Relic Wars," Koushiro supplies. "It may be an extra class, but you didn't have to sign up for it if you weren't interested in it originally. Now, you could go to the councilors and ask them to drop the class..."

"I already tried. It's such a terrible class though. Have you even listened to half of what Prof Adrea spouts?" The boy looked up from his food, watching Koushiro with a raised eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you're actually interested in the 'history' that she has to offer."

"No, but other students have interesting opinons. The new kid believes that several groups for each of the factions went underground at the start of the wars." Koushiro offers. "They have opinions that are different from what the teachers will say."

"Uh huh...and what do you think of the new kid's opinions?" The boy asked.

"He talks like one of us," Koushiro says, sitting back in his seat with a raised eyebrow. "You can't tell me that doesn't interest you in the slightest, does it?"

"So, his parents fed him bullshit that would make it sound like he knew about us...did he actually use any words that would indicate that he was one of us?" The boy presses.

"No, but if I can just talk to him some more..." Koushiro sighs, returning to his food. "Everyone that's here is old news. They're going to be descending on him within days, if he shows his face to the public. I have a feeling that we can talk to him first and if we get to know him, we can get him to open up to us."

"I think you're seeing things where you want to because you're bored." He decided.

"Come on Taichi, you have to admit that it's at least an interesting idea." Koushiro huffs, glancing over his shoulder. "I mean, come on. How often do we have new students halfway through a semester?"

"Not often," Taichi relents.

"Exactly. The headmaster is dead set on not accepting students halfway through. But this kid shows up like it's nothing but common for people to do it. There has to be something there, don't you think?"

"I agree, there has to be something there. But how do you know it's not just someone who had a lot of money and wanted to send there kids here instead of whatever private school they have been going to before because we have the better reputation?"

"In what, sports?" Koushiro asks with a raised eyebrow.

"The sports team has gotten so much better since I joined the soccer team. You have to at least admit that." He says, shaking his head and glancing around.

"Sure, just don't get an over inflated head because you think that you're such a big shot on campus. Besides, this guy doesn't look like he does sports, not the way you and Takeru do sports." Koushiro informs him.

"Oh, where is Takeru anyway?" Taichi asks, glancing around the cafe. "It's not like him to miss lunch."

"Don't know. I think he was sick today or something." Koushiro says. "I didn't see him in first period."

"Great, I thought he would be all over the interesting new kid." Taichi sighs.

"Are you at least coming to your next class?" Koushiro demands. "If Prof Lyncen asks, I won't cover for you again. I covered for you for prof Adrea. You need-"

"I know, I'll be there. Promise," Taichi says with a smile and Koushiro sighs.

"Somehow, I don't believe you." He says, shaking his head.

"Are you going to finish those fries?" Taichi asks and grins when Koushiro pushes them over to him.

"I did extend an open invention to Yamato for him to join us at lunch, if he so wishes." Koushiro says, packing up his notes that he had been reading over in his bag. "And we have a test in Prof Adrea's class in two days. I would suggest at least showing up for the test."

"She likes to bash on the wolf faction. What else am I supposed to do than just skip class to show my unsettled disgruntlement with her?" Taichi says, spreading his hands innocently.

"Tell her to knock it off?" Koushiro suggests. "I'll see you in class."

"Sure," Taichi says, waving as Koushiro turned to walk off. He leaned back in his chair, nearly jumping with Takeru takes the recently evacuated seat.

"You look terrible," Taichi comments, studying Takeru with a frown.

"Thanks, I feel a lot worse than I look." Takeru grumbles. "I'm going back to my room after this, but I thought you'd be interested to know that the new student was put in the room next to yours."

"That's the only single they had left open, right?" Taichi asks.

"Yeah, the one they said they weren't going to let anyone move into a couple weeks ago." Takeru muses. "So, did you get a chance to meet him yet?"

"No, I apparently skipped the class we shared." Taichi grins.

"Prof Adrea isn't that bad. She's not the worst teacher out there anyway." Takeru points out.

"Not you too," Taichi sighs, rubbing his temples. "I gotta go, you feel better!"

"Yeah, okay." Takeru sighs, watching Taichi run out of the cafe with a shake of his head, turning to eat his soup in peace.

 

 

Chapter Two

"Koushiro, where are you going?"

Koushiro glances over his shoulder when he hears Taichi calling his name, shaking his head and ducking through the door. Outside the dorms, he could hear the rain. "Out," he said over his shoulder.

He headed towards the back wall, finding the small door and pushed it open. He glanced towards the forest, eyeing the trees before ducking under the branches, making sure that the door had been propped open behind him.

"Tento, you there?" Koushiro calls, gaze darting around the darkened forest.

"Koushiro, I thought you were not going to make it tonight."

He turned when he heard the voice, smiling at the older teenager. "I didn't think you would have been able to make it out, Tento."

"It was a close thing, but I would come for you, regardless of anything that were to happen." Tento says with a bow of his head.

"How is the Knowledge faction doing?" Koushiro asks, moving to sit on the damp ground. Tento sets next to him, long red hair tied back. Green eyes meets Koushiro's, the figure frowning.

"They are doing well," he says, hands folded in his lap. "They are struggling, as usual. It has been a bad year, but they are working on recovering."

"I understand," Koushiro sighs. "Would it help them if I were to return to the faction?"

Tento shook his head. "No, they beleive that you being here is what is best for them." He explains. "How is school treating you?"

"We have a new student, but it's same as the last couple of times we had new students. But...this one is different." Koushiro says.

"How is this one different?" Tento asks, tipping his head to the side.

"He feels different." Koushiro says after a moment. "I don't know what it is about him but..."

"Would you like me to tag along and see what you mean?" Tento asks, tipping his head to the side. "You look stressed, if you look like anything at all."

"How would someone look like nothing?" Koushiro asked.

"You look like you hit a dead end on something that you thought you could overcome." Tento says, quiet as he reaches out, touching Koushiro's shoulder ever so lightly. "What I mean to say is, are you taking more than you can overcome?"

"School has been going fine, I'm not stressed about that." Koushiro said with a shake of his head. "I'm concerned about the state of home, that's true. Every time I've seen you this past semester, it's been more and more bad news-"

"The group is struggling, that's true." Tento agrees.

"-but everything that's been going on here..." Koushiro sighs. "The new kid feels different and I don't know if that's because he is different or..."

"Do you think he could be from one of the other factions?" Tento inquires.

"I believe so," Koushiro says. "I'm not sure how to ask him about it though. He talks like he's from one of the factions."

"And which one would you believe him to be from?" Tento asked.

"I haven't talked to him that much but..." Koushiro considers the question, tipping hs head back against the tree. "He just..."

"Feels like one of you," Tento supplied and Koushiro nods. "If he is from a faction, ask him who he would represent. It is an innocent enough question. Many students would like to think that they could live in the shadow world, but few would put a name to the faction they would like to be part of."

"I suppose," Koushiro says, considering the options before him. "And if I'm wrong?"

"When was the last time you were wrong concerning one of the faction?" Tento inquires.

"I..." He frowns, considering the question. "It's unlikely that he would be of the faction. We have five students at the school already that represent five of the factions..."

"And you are missing a representitive of Grey. The council of the Shadows know what they are doing when they place students where they do. It would be more likely that your assumption is correct than that you are wrong. As...self grandizing as that sounds." Tento offers. "You are the Keeper of Knowledge for a reason, Koushiro."

"I don't feel like I deserve the title, most days." Koushiro grumbles.

"That is why you benefit most from it." Tento shifts, glancing over his shoulder before returning his gaze to Koushiro and bowing his head. "My lord Kabuteri, this is other matters I must discuss with you this night."

"Speak freely," Koushiro said, turning to scan the forest as he heard Tento shift, pulling away from him.

"There have been two deaths, but the sickness that had been sweeping through the hold has cleared up. While the hold repairs itself, the elders ask that you keep your attendance here. They wish for you to grow further on the outside, and return with new ways to help the faction grow." Tento shifts, standing fully. "As is requested, I will be staying with you for a week before returning to the hold with anything that you wish to give them or tell them to proceed forth."

"Have they begun the spring planting?" Koushiro inquires, feeling tense as the figure before him bowed in agreement.

"They have, once they were able to. It was a week late, but it has begun. Your mother wishes you well and tells you to stay safe."

"Anything else?" Koushiro asked, feeling his spine tingle.

"Taichi is standing behind you." Tento offers and Koushiro ducks as a ball comes flying through the clearing.

"What was that for?" He demands, scrambling up from the dirt and turning to see Taichi doubled over in laughter.

"I'm sorry, it just seemed like you two were so serious looking..." He grins, running over and picking up the ball from where it had fallen. "How have you been Tento?"

"I've been doing well, and yourself Taichi?" Tento asked, turning his curiously green eyes to the speaker.

"You know, ditching class, enjoying the freedom." Taichi shrugs. "Can't say I've been up to much."

"He's decided to press on every single nerve he can find as of late." Koushiro says, crossing his arms and staring at Taichi.

"Oh dear," Tento frowns, glancing from Koushiro to Taichi.

"The new kid, what's his face... Saw him follow you into the forest. Headed him off, made sure he wouldn't stumble upon you and Tento here." Taichi explains, holding up the ball. "I swear I wasn't listening on purpose."

"But you were listening," Koushiro sighs.

"Yes, but not on purpose." Taichi says, holding up his free hand in defense. "I am sorry."

"Apologies accepted," Koushiro says. "And by what's his face, you mean Yamato?"

"Yeah," Taichi says with a nod. "Saw him sneak off this way....just wanted to make sure he didn't see anything he wasn't supposed to."

"Thank you for your diligence, Taichi." Tento says with a small bow.

"Not a problem." Taichi says. "Speaking of, Mimi will be back at school on Monday."

"How has she been feeling?" Tento asked.

"Better, now that she's no longer sick." Koushiro says. "Tento will be staying with us for the next couple of days."

"Nice," Taichi says with a grin. "Hey, maybe you know the secret behind unlocking my true destiny Tento. Wanna help me with it?"

"I am a servent to knowledge, I can only offer up the data that would suffice in finding your own path." Tento says, his gaze sliding to Taichi. "That is not to say that I cannot perhaps answer questions, but I do believe I would not have the correct information for the questions that you are seeking."

"What are you seeking?" Koushiro asked curiously.

"I had a representative come visit me the other day," Taichi says with a shrug. "The council insists that I'm the reincarnation of Garuru. I don't see it, personally? But hey, they obviously have to be right. They wanted me to try and get in touch with Garuru's spirit servant before I return to the faction for summer. Only...."

"You don't feel a connection," Tento guessed.

"Yeah, but supposedly I'm this big thing to them..." He shrugs.

"Don't force something that doesn't already exist." Tento offers. "There is a chance that you don't belong with the followers of Garuru. Is there any other that you feel a pull to?"

"Grey," Taichi said quietly.

"The faction has been...destroyed," Koushiro said quietly. "That we know of, as certain as we could be."

"Then the new kid, what faction do you think he's from?" Taichi asked.

"I was banking on Garuru or Ikkaku," Koushiro shakes his head, frowning. "But..."

"I will contact the others and see." Tento offered. "Is the connection in your room still set?"

"Yes," Koushiro says. "Thank you Tento, be careful."

"As always," the spirit bowed once more before vanishing, Taichi letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Since when did you feel a connection to Grey?" Koushiro asked curiously, catching the ball that Taichi tossed his way.

"Three years ago, when my teacher told me the details of the Followers of Grey." Taichi admitted. "They never spoke of it before then, but..." He turns when there was a rustle behind him. "Let's get back to our room and talk about it."

****

_Yamato stands to the side, watching the followers of Grey talk amongst themselves. He watched as someone brought forth the man that Yamato had seen earlier that night, a blade that had made the child cry out._

_"Kyran, is this the person that had snuck into your rooms?"_

_His gaze snaps to his caretaker, the man nodding grimly as he walked over._

_"What would you have done with the man?" Another asked._

_"As is law," Kyran says quietly, bowing his head. "We cannot afford to let the secrets out,"_

_"Would you...?" The council head asked._

_"I will," Kyran says, stepping forward and taking the knife from the council head. Yamato adverted his gaze, letting his eyes wander to the statue that he had been shown only two weeks prior. He jumped when he heard a gurgle, his gaze darting over to Kyran as the man slit the other's throat._

_Yamato stares, wide eyed, at the scene before him, the blood that splattered the statue. He turned, as if to run, but before him stood a stone wolf._

_He takes several steps back, slipping in the fallen blood and falling._

_"Why are you here?"_

_Yamato turned his head, looking towards the speaker and seeing the stone dinosaur move, claws coming down near him. "I was raised-"_

_He clasps his arms over his head, feeling hot breath on the back of his neck._

_"A child that has no choice should not be chastised for a choice his guardian was forced to make." A voice mused._

_"Do you claim him, then?" the first statue asked._

_"Late, but I do claim him as my own." The second said with a small huffing laugh. "You would never harm a child, that much I know of you."_

_"No, but it is frustrating to see the followers of Grey mention again and again that he is mine when he is not."_

_"Then tell them." The voice above you suggests._

_"And have them leave him to the outside world? Perhaps speak with your council and inform them." The first speaker offered._

_"One day, the path that was wronged shall be righted. Protect him until we can do just that." The voice offers. "And I shall do the same with yours."_

_"Who-"_

Yamato wakes, listening to the alarm buz. He presses a hand to his forehead, considering the options of the dream. He got dressed, adjusting the sleeves of the uniform and headed to breakfast.

"Yamato!" He glanced to the side, frowning as Koushiro calls his name and waves. "How are you this morning?" He asks, coming to sit with him.

"I'm fine," he says with a shrug, poking at his food.

"You look exhausted," Koushiro observes, happily eating his own food.

"I didn't invite you to sit down," Yamato points out. "I was happy eating on my own."

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter because I'm sitting here now," he says with a smile. "Actually, I had a question for you."

"A question?" Yamato asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It relates to Prof Adrea's class," Koushiro explains. "Our discussion the first day got me thinking..."

"About the Relic Wars?" Yamato asked, considering his food before him.

"Yes, well, no. But, you mentioned that the factions could have gone underground. If they did, and you had the choice to be part of a faction, which one would you join?" Koushiro asked.

"That's if they would accept outsiders into the group." Yamato said. "There's no saying that they would even want strangers in their groups. What do you gain by asking me these questions?"

"I have a curious mind," Koushiro says with a shrug. "It's always interesting to see other students who don't dismiss the idea out of hand. The ones that are willing to give the idea thought."

"Sincerity," Yamato responds, shrugging. "If I had to chose, probably sincerity."

"That's...an interesting choice." Koushiro frowns.

"Did you have me pegged me as something else?" Yamato asks innocently.

"Grey," he responds.

"So which faction do you follow?" Yamato asked.

"I'm sorry?" Koushiro responds.

"No one outside of the factions call the factions by the gods' name. Unless, you want me to take a guess." Yamato says.

"I don't know-" Koushiro sighs, smiling at him. "Perhaps we can exchange information and not-"

"Koushiro!" Both you look towards the speaker, Koushiro raising a hand as a young woman comes over to join you. "It's been so long, how are you doing?" She asks, hugging him tightly.

"I'm doing well, yourself Mimi?" Koushiro asks.

"Can't be better! My mother is doing really well. It was nice to be able to visit her. And who is this?" She asks, turning her attention to Yamato.

"Ishida Yamato," he says, placing his fork in his food and getting up from his seat. "See you in class, Izuma."

Mimi raises an eyebrow, watching him walk away. "We got a new student while I was gone and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't get a chance to," He says with a shake of his head. "None of our phones work outside of school range, remember?"

"I know, I just wish there was a way to stay in touch with everyone while I was gone... I miss so much." She sighs, resting her cheek in her hand.

"You were only gone two weeks," Koushiro snorts. "But, how was it?"

"it was beauitful," Mimi says with a smile. "I'll have to let you meet Pal when we have the time,"

"That's good to hear it went well." Koushiro says with a smile. "Sora should be returning next week and Jyo came back the day you left."

"That's good and how is Taichi?" Mimi asks.

"Still the odd one out. There he is now," Koushiro says, watching Taichi walk into the cafe and come join him and Mimi.

"Good to see you back," he says with a grin. "How was it?"

"Wonderful," Mimi says, brushing hair out of her face. "What do you think of the new kid? Koushiro was just telling me about him."

"Haven't met him yet." Taichi admits, shrugging as he started to dig into his food.

"He's been here a week and you haven't met him yet?" Mimi asks, sitting back as Taichi nods, covering his mouth with his hand as he spoke.

"I guess we have Adrea's class together, but I haven't bothered going in nearly a month. I can't break the streak now, can I?" He grins.

"Don't you have to do well in all of your classes to continue playing soccer?" Mimi asks.

"I....shit," Taichi mutters. "I suppose, but no one has mentioned that to me since I started skipping, so..." He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm going to go talk to the councilor." He scarfs down the rest of his food, picking up his tray and leaving the cafe once he deposited it.

"You think he'd have thought of that." Mimi sighed. "How's Takeru doing?"

"He was sick recently, but I think he's been doing better. I'll see if he's around later today." Koushiro offers. "The rest of us plan on meeting in our spot when Sora gets back. You up to it?"

"Just let me know the time," Mimi grins, eating a bite of her food. "Man, I miss the food of home already." She sighed.

"Yeah..." Koushiro says, letting his gaze wander to the other side of the cafe, rerunning what Tento had told him about the current situation in his home faction.

 

 

Chapter Three

"Takeru, how are you feeling?"

The teenager glances up, offering Koushiro a shrug as he sat down across from him. "Been better, but been a lot worse I suppose. I'm at least out of bed now." He offers.

"Maybe if you stop going out on late nights with Daisuke and Ken..." Taichi grins, Takeru glowering at him.

"They've been busy with their studies lately. I've been sick," he says, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I heard you got detention for ditching all of Adrea's classes the other day." He uncrosses his arms, returning to eating his soup.

"Yeah, I have to go clean for the next week, but they'll let me drop the class." Taichi sighs.

"You should have talked to them sooner about dropping the class." Koushiro commented, glancing at Taichi. "But, you might want to hurry along if you don't want to miss your detention."

"Shit, see you later." Taichi shoves the rest of his food in his mouth, waving at the others and hurrying off.

"He's going to have trouble adjusting to adult life," Takeru sighs, returning his gaze to his food.

"Was that Taichi that just ran out?"

Takeru glances up when he hears the voice, frowning as another blonde haired teenager hovered by the edge of the table.

"Yes, it was. Takeru, this is Yamato." Koushiro says with a wave between the two. "We have Adrea's class together."

"Nice to meet you," Takeru says, meeting Yamato's gaze with a smile. "I must have missed your first couple of days here."

"Don't worry about it." Yamato says, sitting down with a shake of his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you...you said Takeru?"

"That's right," Takeru says with a nod. "You okay?" He frowns, watching Yamato's gaze as the teenager scratched the back of his head.

"You remind me a lot of a younger sibling I had." Yamato says finally.

"Ah, I hope your younger sibling is an interesting person." Takeru says with a grin.

"He...died when we were younger." Yamato replied quietly. "He got sick and then...just vanished one day."

"Oh..." Takeru frowns, Koushiro clearing his throat.

"It was awhile ago." Yamato says with a shake of his head. "Anyway, I was wondering if you had the outline for what we were supposed to be doing for Adrea's project."

"I started working on the outline." Koushiro said, turning his attention to Yamato. Takeru politely excused himself after some time of listening to them talk, walking out of the cafe and pulling out his phone.

He dialed a number, holding it up to his ear and listening to the ring tone.

"Hello, Takeru?"

"Hey Daisuke, can you do some research for me?" Takeru asks, leaning against the wall and considering the options before him.

"What...sort of research?" Daisuke asks warily. "You may be asking the wrong person."

"No, I think I'm asking the right person. You're still home, right?" Takeru asks.

"Of course, I won't be back to school for another couple days. Are you sure this isn't something that Ken could help you with?" Daisuke asks.

"I could call Hikari instead." Takeru offers. "Or Ken, but neither of them are in the place I need them to be." He insists. "You have access to one of the wolf libraries, right?"

"I suppose, yeah." Daisuke says, clearing his throat. "I mean, yes I have access. But, what are you looking for?"

"A birth record," Takeru says. "More accurately, my birth record."

"A birth record? Geez, that's going to be tedious research... Man, I can't believe that I'm doing this for you. I hate going in that place. They're always so stuffy and full of themselves." Daisuke groans.

"I would ask Hikari or Ken, but they don't have access to the records I need." Takeru responds. "Ken is back in school anyway." He muffles a cough as he talks, Daisuke grunting.

"Are you still sick?" He asks, voice more gentle.

"The antibiotics are working." Takeru says with a wave of his hand.

"Okay, but why am I going to be looking for your birth records?" Daisuke asks.

"I don't think I... When I was really young, two or three maybe? I remember being in a cave system and always being taken around by someone-my older brother." Takeru explains.

"But you don't have siblings?" Daisuke responds.

"Not at home, unless you count Taichi, but he was separated from Hikari at a young age, so I think he just latched on to me. Look, I won't say it makes sense, cause it doesn't. But, I think I ran into him." Takeru explains.

"Taichi?" Daisuke frowns. "Of course you would run into him, we go to the same school."

"No, the older boy that I remember." Takeru says, running a hand through his hair. "At least, that's who I think it is. I can't say for sure..."

"So you want to check the birth records and see if you were born where you were raised." Daisuke offers.

"Exactly. And, you can't let anyone else know what you're doing." Takeru says.

"I can't-" Daisuke groans. "You would have been back here soon. Couldn't you have looked it up when you got home?"

"No, I can't." Takeru replies. "Please just tell me what you find? I'll owe you big for this."

"Alright, alright. They're going to think it's odd that I'm in the library, but yeah, for you, I'd do anything." Daisuke sighs.

"Thank you, so much. Love you," Takeru grins.

"Love you too," Daisuke says, grumbling some more as Takeru hung up the phone.

****

"So, which faction do you follow?"

Koushiro looks up from his notes when Yamato speaks, the blonde lounging in a chair that he had taken when they got to the private library nook.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Koushiro says after a moment, shutting the book and looking down at what they had gathered for their group project in Adrea's class.

"Our conversation from a couple of days ago." Yamato shrugs. "I've been trying to find a way to talk to you about it since then, but it seems like we always get interrupted, or I can't find you. You have quite a few friends that like to hang around, it's hard to ask you questions."

"Ah..." Koushiro frowns. "Well, yes, they are good friends." He said finally.

"Are they from factions as well?" Yamato asked.

"Does this mean that you are from a faction?" Koushiro asks.

"No, it just means I'm good at ferreting out secrets." Yamato shrugs.

"You wouldn't know that me referring to the faction as "Grey" was not a common thing to do. That it wouldn't have been done at all." Koushiro says.

"No, but that's because the faction of courage were nearly wiped out." Yamato says, tapping his fingers against the wood table.

"And you knowing that...when all the factions would have been considered destroyed." Koushiro sighs.

"The faction of Courage were said to be the leaders against those that wanted to fight. They were nearly wiped out in the wars because they were the fighters. They..." Yamato shakes his head. "Knowing that they were nearly wiped out because they fought back was considered heresy."

"And you know this...how?" Koushiro asked.

"The same way you know about them." Yamato responded. "The names of the gods were considered lost."

"They weren't," Koushiro says with a shake of his head.

"None of it was lost." Yamato said, picking up a pencil and pulling the outline to look at it. "How much of this paper for Adrea can we bullshit?"

"We know what the relic wars were like, according to Adrea." Koushiro says. "But, can we just talk about my question? Or are you going to keep avoiding it?"

"Which question was that?" Yamato sighed.

"Which faction would you belong to?" Koushiro asked. "You gave me the answer of Sincerity last time I asked. This time..."

"Which faction do I belong to..." Yamato tips his head, staring at the ceiling of the small library nook. "It depends on who you ask."

"Who...I ask? I'm asking you." Koushiro says, rubbing his head.

"Grey," he says quietly. "I...never felt a connection to the faction. My guardian always seemed more of someone who followed Garuru."

"Your guardian?" He asked.

"His name is Kyran," Yamato explained. "Look, you can't tell anyone what I told you. I'm not even sure if I was supposed to tell you..."

"Taichi, myself, Jyo, Sora, and Mimi also grew up in the factions," Koushiro says, cutting off whatever Yamato was meant to say. "Jyo is a representative of Ikkaku, Sora is Garuda, Mimi is Lily and..."

"You're Kabuteri," Yamato said. "Which leaves Taichi to be from the faction of the wolf."

"Yes, but he's like you, never felt a connection." Koushiro explained.

"I want to meet the others," Yamato interrupts.

"But you just said-" Koushiro began.

"I know what I just said." Yamato sighed, rubbing his temples. He placed his hand on the table top, considering the options. "The heralding a new age..." Yamato pauses, considering the question. "It was said that the gods would be reborn. What do you know about that?"

"The gods were reborn, yes." Koushiro says with a nod. "It would be a thousand years after the factions went underground, when the original gods sacrificed their powers to protect the world."

"So...who did the gods reincarnate as?" Yamato asked.

"Tento, can you come here?" Koushiro calls and Yamato frowns.

"Tento?" He asked, tipping his head to the side. He turns when he hears the door click, Tento walking through and offering Koushiro a small bow.

"What can I do for you?" He asks, moving to take a seat.

"Tento, this is Yamato," Koushiro says, gesturing towards him. "He's the-"

"Servant of Kabuteri," Tento explains. "I am a piece of the power Kabuteri left behind. Each god has such a servant to guide the reincarnations through the paths they must take."

"Which means..." Yamato considers the question, looking at Koushiro.

"Kabuteri," Tento says, gesturing towards Koushiro.

"It's supposed to be a secret..." Koushiro sighed. "I knew the others from meetings between the factions when we were younger and they would send the kids off to play together."

"How does Takeru fit into this?" Yamato asked.

"Takeru?" Koushiro frowns.

"Yes, Takeru." Yamato responded.

"He..showed up at the compound one day, hurt and sick. He ended up going to join the faction of Garuru. I never paid him much mind, until I met him here again." Koushiro said.

"How many kids are you aware of? Kids that are our age," Yamato asked.

"Twelve, if you include yourself in that group." Koushiro said, glancing at Tento.

"There are twelve in your age range. Two for Knowledge, Grey, Purity, Love, and three for Sincerity. And one for Courage," Tento responded. "How does this help you, Yamato?"

"I'm thinking." Yamato said with a shake of his head. "I'm going to have to consider some things. But, I would like to meet the others." Yamato said, glancing up at Koushiro. "It's a pleasure to meet you Tento."

"Same to you," Tento says with a smile, watching Yamato gather his work.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss for Adrea's class?" He asked.

"No, I think we got it covered. I'll work on the main essay tonight." Koushiro said.

"Okay, see you in the morning." He turned, walking out.

"He's a very interesting candidate for the heir of Courage." Tento says when the door to the library nook swung shut once more.


	5. DigiGods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are gods that rule the wild.
> 
> There are lesser gods to help them.
> 
> Here is a piece of a story, on what it is like to be one of those gods.
> 
> Characters: Yamato, OC, Taichi, uhm, the others are mentioned at least once  
> TW: None from what I saw, skimming? (if you find anything, let me know)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece is from Feb 4th, whoop.
> 
> I think I went on a little bit of a "digi gods, let go!" bug that month. This is not edited for spelling errors, sorry.

"Daddy!"

You turn your head when you hear the voice, frowning as you stand from the plot of land you had been working.

"Koyo?" You call, searching for the speaker. You were at the temple by yourself, the priestest having gone into town to fetch something or another. You had just nodded when she said that she was leaving.

"Over here!"

You turn when you hear the voice again, letting your gaze draw itself up to the sky. You see the speaker as he lets out a laugh, dropping onto the ground in front of you.

"Be careful," you say, reaching out to touch the boy's hair. "You're going to hurt yourself messing around with some of this stuff."

"It was a levitating spell," Koyo says, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I didn't think I was actually going to hurt myself using it."

"I know, but if you get hurt, I have to clean up after you." You say sternly.

"Where's Nina?" He asks, glancing around the clearing and realizing how quiet it was. "Isn't she the one that usually cleans up after you?"

"That's not what I said!" You protest, reaching forward and catching the boy by the back of his shirt before he could run off. "Nina had to go to town. I believe she was running low on supplies. You and I are staying at the temple. And I said I would have to clean up after you, not myself."

"Ah man, she seems to be going to town a lot lately." Koyo huffs, crossing his arms over his chest before looking at what you had been doing. You let go of his shirt when you're sure he's not going to run off, turning back to your flowers.

"Do you want to help me plant?" You ask.

"What are we planting?" Koyo asks, trudging over and dropping in the dirt next to you. "And what is it for?"

"Well, I thought that we could use the plants to make the place look...prettier." You say after a moment, gesturing around. The temple was gorgeous, you couldn't find fault in what Nina did to take care of it. "Not that it needs to be pretty. Just... I want to have more colors."

"I thought Garuru was a guardian that dealt with ice?" Koyo says and you let out a soft laugh.

"Just because a guardian uses ice doesn't mean he wouldn't want more than just blue and white stone around." You say with a gesture. In the main courtyard, there was a statue of the guardian wolf. And, up the stairs, was the main temple. Beyond, there were your sleeping quarters, though often you found yourself falling asleep outside only to have Nina wake you at some odd hour of the night.

"I like the colors," Koyo says, crossing his arms over his chest. He turns to look at the plants you were putting in, gesturing to one. "What's that?"

"Don't know," you say cheerfully. "Only that it's not poisonous, no don't eat it!" You say, reaching forward and taking the eight year old's wrist gently before he could touch the plant.

"If it's not poisonous..." He frowns. "Can I at least touch it?"

"It's a delicate plant," you say softly, gently moving his hand to let him touch the leaves.

"Nina was talking about creating an herb garden." Koyo says, glancing towards you as he pulls his hand away from the plant. "Is that what these are for?"

"Very good," you say with a smile. "Perhaps she can teach you the different herbs I've planted for her."

"Why did you say you were trying to plant flowers for Garuru if they were herbs for her garden?" Koyo asks, staring up at you with wide eyes.

"Because, in a way, these are flowers for Garuru." You explain, reaching out and ruffling his hair. You glance towards the sky, judging the time before getting up from the garden bed. "I've planted everything I can right now. Why don't you and I go start making dinner before Nina gets home?"

"Okay!" The six year old surged ahead of you, running halfway up the steps before pausing. "Daddy?"

"Yes?" You ask, watching him before following more slowly.

"Why do we live at the temple with Nina and not in town?" He asks and you offer him a shrug.

"I help Nina care for the temple. I may not be a priest, like she's a priestest, but it's a good way to earn our keep and help out at the same time." You explain, joining him halfway up the stairs.

"Will I go to school like the other kids?" Koyo asks and you grimace behind his back as he starts skipping up the stairs.

"Do you want to go to school?" You ask. Between you and Nina, you had been homeschooling him for the past two years, starting when he was old enough to begin asking questions. As far as you could tell, he would be ahead of his school mates and you hadn't thought about putting him in school since Nina first mentioned it and you had argued her down. 

"I wouldn't mind it. It would mean I could make friends." He says with a grin and you give a relenting sigh.

"I'll see what school is in our section, if it would be worth taking you to it or continue home schooling you." You offer. "You would probably be ahead of the other kids your age." You add.

"That's okay," he says with a grin. You reach the main temple, skirting around it and heading into the home in the back. Koyo takes off his shoes, darting back out and heading into the main temple before you could stop him. You let out a sigh, taking off your own shoes and heading into the kitchen to see what there was to eat.

Life at the temple was peaceful, as peaceful as you could hope for when raising a child. You shifted, frowning when you felt a tug. You close your eyes, tilting your head and listening to your son in the temple.

"Garuru, please grant me strength to go to school with the other kids. I like being at the temple and I think you're a great god, but I want to be around kids my age. I can't always hang around your temple, much as I like to."

You sigh, listening to your son before shaking your head. "Praying, huh?" You murmur to yourself, picking out items that would be good for dinner. you recall Nina mentioning the need for food soon and hoped that she would bring something back that night.

You finish preparing the food, holding out a plate as Koyo comes bounding back into the room.

"What were you doing?" You ask curiously.

"I was praying," he says, putting the plate on the table. You join him once you double check that the stove is off. You didn't want a repeat of Nina finding it on again.

"I didn't know that you were buying into this." You say with a small smile.

"Well, there has to be something out there, right?" He asks, looking up at you. "I think that the gods are there to help us, even if they don't make their presence known."

You nod in agreement, picking at your food in thought. It's quiet while the two of you finish the lunch and it's several hours later-in which your worked on cleaning up the temple and Koyo played outside, before Nina returned home, grocery sacks in hand.

"I hate going into the village," she huffs, setting it on the table in the small home behidn the temple. You follow her, helping her sort out the food.

"Why didn't you ask me to go?" You ask, arching an eyebrow at her. "I don't mind it."

"Now that would just be-" she squeaked as Koyo hugged her legs from behind, stepping back and grinning up at her. 

"Daddy made lunch while you were gone." He says, reaching out for her to pick him up. You continue putting away the food, Nina indulging the child and picking him up.

"Oh, and what else did you two do while I was gone?" She asks, reaching out and touching his nose lightly.

"I started your herb garden and cleaned the temple." You say with a gesture of the mop in your hand. "And we talked about Koyo wanting to go to school."

"Oh, school?" Nina glances at the boy, raising an eyebrow. "You really want to be stuck in a classroom for hours on end with a bunc hof other little kids your age?"

"Yes!" Koyo says, squirming until she put him back down. he turned, facing the both of you. "I want to meet other kids and get away from the temple." He pouts, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was thinking about going down tomorrow and registaring him." You explain, glancing at Nina. "There's a bus that'll pick him up for and drop him off after school, I've seen some other kids ride it from the farms further out." You gesture aimlessly around you. It would be a pain, you figured, to get him to and from school, but if he wanted to go...

"Then all three of us will go down tomorrow and registar you." Nina says, ruffling Koyo's hair.

"Yay!" Koyo says, clapping his hands and running off. You watch him, turning to glance at Nina.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asks, tipping her head towards him.

"He's technically a resident of the country," you say. "His mother had him at a hospital. And I'm listed as the father." You explain.

"Okay," she says, giving you a look that says the conversation isn't over. "And what have I told you about cleaning the temple!"

"It's...amusing?" You offer, holding out the mop to gain distance from her. "What else am I supposed to do when there's nothing to do?" You protest.

"One day, it's going to get you in trouble." She decides, a smirk on her lips. You roll your eyes, leaning against the handle of the mop.

"What happened in town?" You ask, leaning against the counter. YOu can hear Koyo running outside, working off some of the restless energy he always seemed to have an endless supply of.

"Just, men being idiots." She says with a sigh, pushing hair out of her face. "They seem to think I need a man. Not that there is room for one..."

"I can move out of the house, if you think koyo needs more space." You offer.

"And have you sleep in the forest? What kind of shrine maiden would I be if-" Nina let out a sigh when she saw your repressed laughter. "Of course, of course. I have a friend coming to visit next week, what do you want to do?"

"I'm okay with being hired help." You say, turning your head when you hear Koyo laugh. You frown, letting your senses travel further when you catch his last word in an answer to a question.

"-inside!"

"Oh, they're in the temple?" A man's voice asks.

"No, they're in the house behind the temple. Let me take you!"

"We have a guest," you say, snapping back to the present and looking at Nina. "Koyo greeted them." You add as Nina moves towards the door, slipping on her outdoor shoes. You join her, mop still in hand as you see Koyo running up the stairs. You drag your gaze behind him, seeing the man with hands in his pockets, looking around the temple grounds curiously.

"Hello!" Nina calls, hurrying down the stairs to greet them.

"This man wants to see Garuru," Koyo says, stopping by Nina and looking up at her. "Do the gods really come whenever someone calls for them?" He asks, tipping his head to the side.

"He's an adorable kid." The man says and you study them from the top of the stairs, watching as Koyo glances from Nina to the unnamed man. "Is he yours?"

"No, he's the son of my help," Nina says, gesturing in your direction. You pick up the mop in mock salute, resting it against the temple doorway and beckoning Koyo. He runs to you and you gesture towards the mop.

"Put that away for me and play behind the house, okay?" You suggest.

"I want to watch." Koyo protests as you gently gesture for him to do as he was bid.

"Sorry kiddo," you offer. "Maybe when you're older." You add, watching him pout but you were grateful when he did as he was told.

"I didn't know you could get help out here." The man says, his gaze landing on you. You offer him a shrug.

"I help out for room and board, it's not that bad of a set up." You say, gauging the man as he watches you.

"What can I do for you?" Nina asks, gesturing for the man to follow her into the temple. You watch as she bows before entering, a reverent look on her face.

"I wish to seek the guidance of the God of Ice and Friends," the man says, following Nina inside. He pauses as she had, offering a bow and a murmur of thank you.

"And what guidance do you have need from him?" Nina asks as you circle around back of the temple, entering through a side door. You feel your skin tingle as you stripe from your civilian clothes, pulling on the garb you hardly touch. The pelt, the lose pants. You sit behind the screen, watching as the man kneels in front of the priestest.

"I fear my heart has been heavy as of late, shrine maiden." The man says softly. You see Nina prepare the offering bowl through the screen, her hands oving defly as shoe chooses herbs while concentrating on the man. "I have had some...disagreements with my friends, regarding many things. I fear that I am becoming detached, that ice will cover my heart and I will no longer be able to call those that are my friends, friends."

You tilt your head, peering into the man's soul. It's a moment longer before you hear the bone fragments being shaken. You extend your abilities, touching the bones and moving them as they were tossed.

"There has been strife," Nina says, bowing her head to look at the fragments and run her fingers over them. "You are confused. You feel as if your friends have betrayed you. Oftne you find yourself left out as they seek each other forcompany, rather than you."

"Yes," he says and you glance up at him, seeing the man from a young age. Friends, turning their backs on him for his beliefs, for his gender, for his relationships. Hair, chopped jagged and voice raw from crying at night for the trouble he had gotten in. Parents, arguments, blood, death. You close your eyes, breathing in the scents of the now burning herbs.

"Have you tried communicating with your friends? Telling them of your pains?" Nina inquires and you see the man pause, shaking his head.

You see him, struggling to reach out, struggilng with the thoughts of darkness consuming him. The thoughts that perhaps he was not worth it in the end. He tried to reach out, tried to seek help, but found nothing but coldness. Death lingering, ever bitter, from a father who had rejected him.

"I tried," he says finally. "I...do not know what my next step is."

Nina runs her hands through the bones, touching one lightly when you turn it hotter. "Break free," she says quietly, pushing the fragment forward. "Let go," she adds, pushing a second. "Find a new path," she says with the third.

"It's hard," he says finally, and you see him with his head bent, looking at the fragments.

"There will be hardship and strife, if you continue walking the path you are on." Nina agrees, tapping the three bones. "There will be hardship and loneliness with the chance of freedom and flight, if you choose another path. Both are hard to walk,"

"Yes," he says quietly. "Does...the god off any suggestions?"

You consider the question, watching as Nina collects the bone fragments and replaces them in the bag. You warm the two you think most helpful, Nina laying them out.

"There is a temple, known as the temple of Fire and Courage. It is said to hold a god known as Greymon. Seek out the temple, and you will find there peace that you seek." Nina says, spreading her hands over the bones. Outside, you hear Koyo playing in the field, the birds singing. "Volunteer there, and know that you are not alone in the world."

"Thank you," the man says quietly and you slide from your spot, disrobing and putting up your garnments before changing back into your regular clothes, keeping an ear on the other two. The man feels lighter as he and Nina talk over a cup of tea, and you feel the herbs begin to sputter out as you look up at the sun, nearly falling over when Koyo ran into you.

"I'm bored," he sighs and you smile at him. "Why don't we finish putting away what Nina bought?" You suggest, feeling a tug at the back of your mind.

****

"He seemed happier," Koyo comments once the man is off the property. "Did you help him Nina?"

"I sought the guidance that he wished," she says with a smile. "I let the god speak through me in answering his questions."

"I want to watch," Koyo says, glancing at you. "Daddy says I can't though. I'm too young."

"It's a sacred thing when someone comes to seek out the guidance of such a faraway shrine." You say, resting a hand on Koyo's shoulder. "it's not a thing to be able to sit there and watch, much as you might want to."

"Well, daddy does." Koyo grumbles.

"Only sometimes, and it's when I help Nina." You say, voice gentle as you reach out and touch his hair, ruffling it. "I don't watch because I think it's a show to watch, I watch because there is stuff I do to help Nina, even if I may not be much help."

"Come on Koyo, why don't you and I watch a movie?" Nina says, offering him her hand. "We can watch anything that you want."

"Nothing violent or gore ridden," you say with an arched eyebrow.

"Except what your father doesn't want you watching. We can watch..."

"Spirited Away!" Koyo interjects and you nod at his choice of movie, Nina smiling and taking him into the house. You step into the temple, taking your shoes off and walking to the middle of the room. You turn when you hear footsteps, frowning as a figure seems to shimmer before you.

"Garuru," the voice murmurs.

"And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" You ask, tilting your head towards the figure. You can't make it out in the shadows, but you recall the voice, though you had not heard it in years.

"I come to speak with you," the figure says with a small bow.

"Ah, V-mon, is it not?" You ask, the man spreading his wings when you name him. "Lesser god of courage,"

"That would be correct," V-mon says.

"There will be a man I sent to Greymon, please watch over him," you say, before you could lose V-mon's attention. "What did you wish to speak to me of?"

"A message," he replies. "The summit meets at the full moon, the second full moon of the month and under the lunar eclipse."

"Ah, I was wondering if we would be meeting. Thank you for the message," you say with a nod. "Where will we be meeting?"

"Eh, I'm not...damn it, I knew I was missing something important from Taichi!" V-mon smacks his forhead and you let out a soft laugh.

"Is it the same meeting place?" You ask.

"he said... 'The same as before,'? Said you would know what that meant but..." V-mon questions.

"Okay, I know," you promise. "Thank you V-mon. Would you like some tea or some cake before you leave again?" You ask, gesturing towards the offerings that Nina had put out that morning.

"Won't your priestest know that they're missing?" He frowns.

"I'm sure she'll understand." You promise and you see his eyes go wide.

"You are, by far, the best." he says, picking out several pieces of the offerings. "Running around is hard work, having to alert all six gods. At some of the temples, I get the lesser gods, and then there's the couple that I have to filter through several different temples to even find. Man, you were last on my list and I was not looking forward to having to chase you down. I am so glad you just happened to be here." He speaks rapidly, even as he shoves food in his mouth.

"I happen to live here. I'm hired help, don't you know?" You joke, watching his eyes go wide.

"Seriously?" He gaps.

"I've lived here for nearly seven years now." You explain. "And, will you let Taichi know that I will be unable to attend physically? I do not have the ablity to reach the meeting spot on such short notice, I am sure he will understand."

"Of course," V-mon says with a nod. "See you in two days!"

You watch him dash past you, heading into the twilight. You watch him leave, shaking your head before rearranging what was left of the offerings.

****

You listen to the fire crackle as you shift your position, finding the most comfortable spot. It is nearly midnight, and in house, you hear Nina laying down for bed, Koyo's smooth breathing reassuring you that he was already asleep. You let your mind pull away from them, turning back to the task at hand.

You find the spot, feeling the presence of the other gods as you slowly project your conscious into the outsirts of the group. It's a moment before you muster up the courage and step forward, feeling several eyes turn on you, though many do not break from their talking with each other.

"Yamato, it looks like you're the last to arrive," Taichi says, standing up from his spot. "A bit disappointing you couldn't make it all the way out here."

You offer him a grin and a shrug, walking over to him. "Give me more than two days' notice and I will do my best to make it out in better time next time." You say, looking at the gathered gods. "Any sign of the holy messangers?"

"No, but I have a feeling they'll show up." Taichi explains and you nod in agreement.

"The tides are changing," Jyou comments from his spot on a bench. He pulls himself into a sitting position, waving for you and Taichi to join him.

"There has been some tension in the air as of late," Taichi agrees, taking a seat. YOu politely decline the offer to sit, but face your body to look at Jyou and Taichi. "We'll have plenty of time to discuss that, Daisuke mentioned that you were living at one of your temples Yamato?"

"Ah, yes." You say with a nod. "Several years ago, I found myself with the need to be staying at a temple for an extended stay. I chose one that was out of the way, knowing that few would bother it. The priestest there has been nice enough to allow me to stay."

You twitch when you hear a clatter in the temple, your projection flickering before you regain your focus.

"And thus, projecting yourself." Taichi says and you nod. You chatter with them for severa lmore minutes before the meeting is called to a true beginning by Sora. You see her standing in the center of the field, moonlight filtering down and casting her in a silver gleam.

"Welcome," she calls.

You follow the others, each of you taking your seat in the circle. Sora takes her own seat, offering Taichi the chance to speak.

"Thank you all for joining us on this rare lunar miracle." He says, his voice carrying through the grounds of the mountain oasis. You find yourself relaxing, Koushiro kneeling next to you with someone you haven't seen before to his right. "Does anyone have anything of interest to report?"

You see the quiet murmurings throughout the circle, each of the gods exchanging a glance before Koushiro clears his throat.

"I would like to present Iori," he says with a wave towards the young man. "He has taken up the role of the lesser god of knowledge under the title Armadi."

You offer your congrats, as do the others. It seems to make Iori squirm, but he holds his head up high, meeting everyone's gaze with a soft thank you.

"That makes four lesser gods now?" Taichi asks, glancing around and Mimi nods.

You could see where Miyako was kneeling next to Mimi, Daisuke sprawled next to Taichi, and Ken kneeling respectfully next to Jyou. You glance towards Sora, cocking an eyebrow.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones to never expect a lesser god into the fold." You offer and see her roll her eyes.

"You say that now Yamato," she says, though there is laughter in her words. You see her smile at you, turning her attention back to the group.

The ten of you chat for awhile longer, Taichi gathering everyon's attention once more.

"As some of you may have noticed, there's been a rise of people who have become tainted," he begins and you feel your physical body freeze when you hear footsteps. You force yourself to focus on the words Taichi is speaking, but he has been interrupted by two sparks of light.

"Hikari, Takeru," he says, bowing his head as the two angels seem to stumble into the clearing, looked more ragged than you had seen them in a long time.

"The darkness breaks," Hikari says, turning to search Taichi's gaze.

"There will be a calling, in which several gods are corrupted. The darkness's taint will consume if not stopped," Takeru says and you feel a hand on your shoulder, dividing your attention.

"Daddy?" Koyo says quietly and you move, keeping a firm grip on your link to your astral projection.

"What is it Koyo?" You ask softly, using the most mundane voice you could muster.

"I had a nightmare, can I sleep with you?" Koyo asks and you nod. He curls up, tucking his head against your tigh. "The darkness ate everything," he mumbled and you run your fingers through his hair, pondering the words.

"Yamato?"

You jerk your gaze up, feeling your connection waver before it solidified once more. You see several pairs of eyes turn to you, worried and you shake your head.

"Lapse of concentration, a mop fell over." You explain, gesturing for the meeting to continue. "My apologizes," you add hastily.

"The taint is beginning to grow, and it has erroded away the bonds that kept the darkness at bay." Takeru speaks, wings a blur as he seems to hover several inches off the ground. "If any of the tainted humans come to your temples, purify them as soon as possible."

"And the darkness?" Ken asks, speaking for the first time that night.

"It will need to be cleansed as well, rechained and rebound." Hikari explains, her gaze sweeping the group. "We are looking into what caused the binding to snap in the first place. Please, walk with care as you return home. We must take our leave now."

The two angels disappear before anyone else gets the chance to ask questions and you cringe as Koyo digs his fingers into your thigh.

"I beleive I must be off as well," you say finally, allowing your astral projection to stand. "I am sorry for my distraction."

"I'll be over shortly," Taichi tells you and you meet his gaze. "There are things we must discuss, if we are to fight this darkness." He explains before you can ask. You merely nod, turning your attention inward and letting go of the meeting in a blur.

You run your fingers through Koyo's hair, listening to his muffled whimpers. You pick him up gently, walking him back to the small house and placing him in your bed, staying up hunched over your desk as you write out the important information from the meeting before you forgot it all.

****

"Yamato, there's a man asking after you."

You glance up from where you were planting more herbs, tilting your head with a frown. You hadn't sensed anyone come... "i'll be right there Nina," you say, standing up and brushing the dirt off your hands.

She grimaces when you meet her gaze. "He's in the temple. Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"Tea, if you don't mind." You suggest. "Is Koyo working on school work?"

"Yes," she says and you nod, passing her and walking up the steps to the temple. You hadn't noticed anyone enter or pass you... You glance once more to see Nina's worried face before she sets off, her paced hurried but determined rather than frantic.

"Hello?" You call as you step into the temple.

"Yamato, apologizes for dropping in unnanounced." The visitor says, catching your attention. You raise a hand in welcome as Taichi saunters over, hands in his pockets.

"I didn't even notice you come up the stairs." You joke.

"Well, about that... I used the back door. I believe I gave your priestest quite a scare with my apparence. Will you extend my apologizes to her as well?" He asks, cocking his head to the side. "You missed quite a bit at the last meeting."

"Yes, I was sorry to have had left so soon." You say with a small, 'what can you do?' shrug in response. "Is there anything I can get for you? Nina will be bringing in tea shortly."

"Some of those small cakes would be nice." He grins, taking a seat at the small table. You join him, rolling your shoulders back and stretching.

"Of course," you say with a small smile. "Anything for a fellow god. I'm glad that you were able to make it in person."

"Yes, it was quite interesting to find you. I had to appear several hundred feet away from the main temple and work my way through the backdoors in your wards that Daisuke told me about." Taichi explains. "It's almost like you don't want anyone to find you. Also gives us an idea as to why Koushiro was unable to locate you until the meeting."

"Ah, yes," you say with a nod. "I believe that I have my....reasons that I did not want to be found. I have always enjoyed my privacy. But, how have you been?" You ask, making a mental note to repair whatever wards that Taichi may have accidentally taken down as a result.

"As well as any of us. Training Daisuke has given me quite the headache. I'm about ready to foist him off on someone else. Are you looking for an apprientance for a couple of years?" Taichi asks, looking hopeful and you shake your head.

"No, I'm quite happy where I'm at." You explain. "I don't want to be training any lesser god of anything. That's something that we can decide on our own and, perhaps I've decided not to train any lesser god. At least, not at this time." You glance up as Nina enters the temple, placing the tray of tea before you.

"You," she says with a steel eyed gaze on Taichi. "Do you not know that using the back door is impolite?"

"Yes but-" Taichi begins.

"I don't care," Nina says, cutting him off. "Do not sneak up on a temple, least you want something nasty thrown your way. We have stairs for a reason. Do you need anyting else Yamato?" Nina asks, turning her gaze-much softer than it had been when she had fixed Taichi with it-to you.

"Cakes, if you don't mind. I believe there might be some in the upper shelf left of the fridge." Nina bobs her head as you talk, turning and quickly walking out to get as you ask.

"She has a point," you comment as Taichi splutters, eyes wide. "It's impolite to use the backdoor. She gets mad when I do it sometimes. Something about tracking mud on the floor."

"She is one seriously strong priestest." Taichi says finally, sinking back into his lounging position. "She didn't even blink at the fact that I was here."

"I've been living here for nearly seven years. Living with a god becomes second nature after the first couple of months." You point out, glancing over your shoulder.

"About that, why did you end up picking here to live? Last any of us knew, you were out wandering and enjoying the city life." Taichi comments and you shrug.

"Needed a change of pace, I guess." You say after a moment, unwilling to share why you had settled down. You reach over, pouring Taichi and yourself a cup of tea as the quiet surrounds you. He shifts in his seat, not saying anything as Nina comes in, setting the cakes down for you.

"Let me know if you need anything else Yamato," she says before leaving again, Taichi watching her.

"None of the priests or shrine maidens I've known has had as much...guts as her." He says after a moment, picking up a cake and eating it happily.

"Again, the novielty of working with a god wears off," you say with a shrug. "Perhaps if you spent a little more time in your temples and around your people..."

"I don't need to spend all my time in a temple, lording around." Taichi says, scoffing.

"I do not lord around," you say with a snort.

"Then what do you do?" Taichi challanges.

"I'm planting an herb garden, if you must know." You retort, holding up your hands that still had dirt on them. You picked up a cake, taking a bite of it and enjoying the taste. "I help keep the temple clean. Otherwise, it's just Nina doing it on her own. If I want to stay here, I have to help her take care of the place. It's part of the deal."

"That's why you told Daisuke you were hired help." Taichi muses, setting his tea cup down and positioning himself into a more business like stature.

"We have matters to discuss," you say quietly, casting a spell of muffling around you. You tip your head, resting your hands on the table. "Matters that were cut short, albiet perhaps I should have tried harder to stay at the meeting several nights before."

"Many left once you had gone. With the news that the angels bore, none of us felt safe." Taichi explains.

"I am surprised that the holy messangers were willing to come to us." You respond, feeling yourself almost detatch from your physical body. You close your eyes, breathing in the smell of long burned out incensce.

"Though rarely seen, they speak when their need is greatest." Taichi responds, a smile on his face. The temple seems to shift and you feel it deep in your bones, a long aching call to be somewhere else. It takes you a moment as you let out a low breath, realizing that it had been a long time since you let yourself revel in your power.

"The darkness moves," you murmur, searching for where the binds were the weakest. You could picture it, in the clearing that you had crafted. You stalk forward, gliding silently on four paws. There, in the depths of the caves that were beneath you, the mass squirms, a dark liquid seeping against the chains, eating it slowly.

"We still need to bind it again," Taichi says quietly, and you turn your head, seeing the great dinosaur before you bow its head towards the mass.

"It nearly cost us, the last time we bound it. If it weren't for the angels, we would have never succeeded. Are we sure we can come out so clean this time?" You question, taking a step back and away from the caves, though the mass seems to sense you. It turns, and several eyes look out at you.

"We have the lesser gods." Taichi responds. "They will aide us, in the way that four more powerful beings would have aided us all those years ago. The angels-"

"They come," you turn your head hwen you see balls of light float on the horizon, swirling ever closer. You sit back on your haunches, watching as the two angels come closer.

"Greetings," Hikari says, voice seeming like bells. The dark mass seems to cringe away from their light, Takeru turning to look at it with a frown. "It seems we were interrupted last we spoke."

"Welcome, Hikari, Takeru." You murmur with a bow of your head. "Please, accept my apologizes for my lack of attentiveness when we last stood before you."

"We understand that the mundane often overtakes matters of higher beings," Takeru says with a warm smile your way. "The four lesser gods will be important, in the fight against the darkness. In order to bind it, you will need to craft new chains."

"What sort of new chains?" Taichi asks, voice almost hopeful. "Will we be strong enough to fight back the darkness?"

"You can fight it back, yes." Hikari says, gesturing towards the mass. "The chains will be strong to keep it, for a time. However, we are unable to see how much time that would be. For now, to craft new chains, you must go to the summit of the crystal lake, forge the chains in the shed blood of the gods, and recraft the moon new."

"Recraft the moon new?" You repeat, tipping your head to the side.

"Create the chains under a new moon," Taichi supplies and you see the angels nod in agreement.

"You will all be needed," Takeru says and the vision is fading. You blink, finding yourself kneeling at the small table in the temple. You see Taichi sitting before you and you turn your head, hearing footsteps and a child's voice, complaining. Taichi frowns at you when he hears the child and you hold a finger to your lips, getting up slowly and walking towards the temple door.

"-with the work though!" Koyo complains.

"I know darling, but your father is busy." Nina says, voice as gentle as she can make it.

"He's hardly ever busy." Koyo whines and you let out a sigh, returning to your seat.

"Is everything okay?" Taichi asks and you offer him a partial shrug.

"Have you ever dealt with a six year old?" You ask, almost idly as you mentally count the seconds before Koyo burst into the temple.

"A six year old?" Taichi frowns, tipping his head to the side. "No, why would I-"

You let out a sigh as you hear the footsteps, Koyo nearly running into your back. You lean over, steadying him and gently brushing hair out of his face. "Are you okay?" You ask, shifting your attention to Koyo.

"Nina said you were busy," he says, glancing between you and Taichi.

"Nina would be very right." You say. "What have I told you about interrupting when someone is busy?"

"That it's rude," he says after a moment. "But, I have to tell you!"

"Tell me what?" You ask, gesturing for Koyo to sit next to you. You pour him some tea, passing him the cup that you had been drinking from.

"I had..." He shifts, a feeling of fear fluttering in his chest. "The darkness was eating at the hosue." He says after a moment.

"The darkness was eating at the house?" You ask, watching him take a sip of tea and making a face at the taste.

"Yes," he says, taking another sip of tea. "I was finishing the work sheets and when I looked up, the walls were being erroded away. There was...something talking, I couldn't make out what it was though." He adds quickly when he sees the look you were giving him.

"Did the darkness seem abnormal?" Taichi asks curiously.

"Abnormal?" Koyo frowns, glancing at your guest.

"Did it seem like the normal darkness, when there is no light in the room, or darker than that?" He explains.

"Darker than that. It absorbed all the light," Koyo says, setting the empty cup aside and glancing at you. "It was like the dream I had the other night daddy,"

"Of course," you say gently. "Go apologize to Nina, I'll finish my meeting, and then I'll be out to help you, okay?" You say and Koyo shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't want to." He mumbles. "What if it comes back?"

"Do you know about the gods?" Taichi asks, catching the child's attention. He nods warily, regarding the stranger with an odd look in his eyes. "Do you have one in perticular you like?" He asks.

"Garuru's nice, I suppose." Koyo says after a moment. "I like Greymon a lot too though." He adds hastily, throwing you a quick look.

"Greymon is the god of fire and courage." Taichi says, pulling something out of his pocket. He shifts and you see it's a small bit of string and a small sheet of fabric. In several minutes, after with using several things around your temple-you would talk to him about it later-he has a small doll formed out of sticks and clothe. "This doll can act like a link to Greymon, or to any god that you can think of. Whenever you need courage, or knowledge, when you need to be sincere or pure of heart, think of this doll and it will be that god. It'll protect you from the dark."

"Does it have a name?" Koyo asks, looking at the doll in Taichi's hands.

"You can bless it with a name. Make it a warrior in the gods' image." Taichi says, watching the boy take the stick and fabric doll.

"Grumples," he says, touching the half a walnut Taichi had used for a face. "Thank you," he adds, holding the doll to his chest.

"Grumples will make a fine warrior for the gods." Taichi says with a smile.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," Koyo says, standing and taking a step back. You watch him bow at the door of the temple before leaving your sight.

"'Daddy', huh?" Taichi asks, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "Is that the, erm, mop that fell over and distracted you the other night?"

You sigh, tilting yoru head back and looking at the temple ceiling. "Yes, I suppose it is." You say after a moment. "I did not..." You hesitate, trying to find the words. "While I was travelling, I met several people. The last happened to die during childbirth."

"Ah," Taichi says thoughtfully. "And does he know about...any of this?" He asks with a gesture towards you and himself.

"No," you say with a shake of your head. "I want to keep it that way as long as I can," you add, gaze darting over to Taichi.

"He's gong to find out one day." Taichi says quietly.

"I know," you sigh. "Right now, he's getting to be a kid. As far as I can tell, nothing has manifested into abilities that he shouldn't have..."

"You're hoping he's human, that your blood didn't infect him. That's why you were unwilling to physically meet with us, was it?"

"Yes," you say finally. "I wouldn't have had the time to travel, but that is one of the reasons I was gald that I did not have the time."

"And when he does figure out about all of this?" Taichi asks quietly.

"I don't know." You admit, shaking your head. "I hadn't thought that far ahead. If I can keep him from finding out for a few years more, perhaps then I can figure out a way to tell him."

"And thus living in a temple, because it hides both you and him in overlaying energies." Taichi muses, watching you. "Don't your other priests get jealous that you never seem to appear for them?"

"On the contarary, I have mastered the art of astral projecting when I am needed." You respond. "It's a talent to hold a crying child and be able to offer divine wisdom through very strewnous contact."

"But a mop falling over distracted you." Taich chuckles.

"It took me by surprise is all." You say with a shrug.

"He's having visions of the darkness," Taichi says, recalling the child's words. "It may not be wise to keep him in the dark, as you so wish to do. He may be coming into his own power."

"If he is..." You hesitate, trying to find the words.

"You want to protect him as long as possible," Taichi guesses and you nod slowly. "The darkness will not wait. If it thinks it can gain a strangle hold on anything-"

"Don't you dare think that I would let the darkness claim my son." You say quietly, gaze shifting to the temple door.

"He walks unprotected, carrying the blood of the gods in his veins." Taichi says quietly. "If the darkness believes it can be used as a strangle hold, it will go after him. That is not something that you can cling to and hope does not happen."

"I know," you say quietly. "Now that you know, will you please keep this quiet to the others? I..." You hesitate, unsure of what you want to say.

Taichi nods, leaning over and taking your hand. "I will do what I can to protect you and yours, as I have done in the past. But pleast, consider the wiser option and course. Tell him and get him the protection that he needs against things unholy."

"We are considered unholy," you say, voice ever so soft. "To those that practice the Christian religion. We, us gods, are unholy to them. What can we say is holy or unholy Taichi?"

"I know," he says with a frown, leaning over and kissing your forehead ever so lightly. "Be safe, Garuru."

"Be safe, Greymon." You say, feeling his hand leave yours. You watch him get up, stretching and taking one last cake. He picks up the tea, gone cold by now, and finishes it.

"Thank you for the hospitality. When we receive news on the chians, we will let you know."

"Nine years," you say quietly.

"What?" Taichi frowns.

"They will not break for nine years." You say, dragging your gaze up. "We have nine years to figure out how to stop them from breaking and how to create new chains."

"We have to do it under the new moon." Taichi says. "In the Crystal Lake, at the summit."

"Yes," you agree quietly.

*****************************

The years pass, the crystal lake comes and goes. Times change, binds break.

*****************************

You toss your book bag over your shoulder, turning to wait for your friends to join you in the hallway. It's several minutes before Rio and Clio join you, Ryo rolling his eyes when he sees you.

"Our homeroom teacher is such an ass." He says as way of greeting. "You're so lucky to not have to deal with him."

"Lucky, huh?" You ask, arching an eyebrow. You glance around the school hallway, following your friends out of the school. "Dad's not expecting me home until tomorrow morning. Actually, I think he had to go out for the weekend. Maybe I'll call Nina and tell her I won't be home until Sunday. Is it still cool of me to spend the night Ryo?"

"Of course," he says, threading his arm through yours as Clio moves to your other side, taking your right hand idly.

"Is everything ready then?" She asks, turning to look at Ryo with a raised eyebrow. "Or do we still need to wait another week for whatever it is you have brewing?"

"Nah, everything's ready." Ryo grins. "We can do it tonight, if you aren't scared Clio."

"Ugh, why would I be scared?" She asks, her grin putting you at ease. "It's not like anything is going to happen anyway. There's no such thing as a bound darkness."

"Come on now, the priestest thinks it's real." You point out, recalling the reading that Nina had left on the table the other day.

"Coming from the golden boy at the top of the temple." Ryo teased. "So, is Nina your mom or...?"

"Haven't you two been over this?" Clio sighs and you let your friends pull you towards Ryo's house several blocks from the local school.

"She's not my mom," you sigh. "Dad won't tell me much about my mom, other than she died before I was old enough to know her."

"Maybe they're telling you that to keep their forbidden love in the dark." Ryo grins, nudging you in the ribs. "I mean, Nina is hot. I wouldn't be surprised if your father wasn't fucking her."

"Ugh, can we not?" You ask, wrinkling your nose. "Besides, I've lived in that temple my whole life. Well,the house behind it. Those walls are paper thin. You can hear what anyone is doing in their rooms."

"That's why you spend so much time at Ryo's," Clio clicks her tongue, lanky brown hair falling in her eyes. "Tha tway your father can't-"

"You both are so gross," You say, shrugging out of your friends' grips. You shove your hands in your pockets, glancing over your shoulder. "Besides, I know that you and Ryo like to-"

"That's personal!" Ryo splutters, Clio laughing.

"It's not like you aren't allowed to join us," she sings and you let out a chuckle as Ryo runs a hand throug his hair.

"Come on, we aren't going to be talking about this kind of stuff tonight." He says.

"Oh, but I would like it if Koyo joined us," Clio says with an eyebrow waggle. You roll your eyes, leaning over and ruffling her hair.

"You would like it, huh?" You ask. "And what do you think Ryo?"

"Dude, you know I've had a crush on you since fifth grade, what do you think?" Ryo asks, cocking an eyebrow at you. "But, we still need a virgin sacrifice for tonight."

"No, what you need is virgin blood," you say, rolling your eyes at your friends. "That's different from blood of a virgin."

"How is it different?" Clio frowns. "Virgin blood, blood of a virgin..."

"Virgin blood is just something that hasn't been used in a ritual tonight. But, if you two are so scared, I'll let you use mine when you communicate with the darkness." You grin. "Besides, the gods bound it. I doubt you'll even get a read on it, if it's still bound."

"I thought you didn't believe in it." Clio comments.

"Sure, we'll use your blood." Ryo responds at the same time. The two friends glance at each other, glancing at you. "Yeah, what do you believe in?"

"I mean, I was raised in Garuru's temple, but I've never seen the god. Nina and dad seem to make the people that come for advice pretty happy without ever evoking the gods."

"That's because gods just don't hang around temples all day. Of course you're never going to see them." Clio points out. "My parents came to this town because of that temple being so close. It's the power of belief."

"Yeah, I don't believe in anything," you say as the three of you reach Ryo's home. He moves in front of you, unlocking the door and waving you all inside.

"It's set up in the basement. My parents are gone for the night. We should probably do it now," he suggests.

"Before it gets dark?" Clio chuckles.

"No," he says, locking the front door behind the three of you and leading the way you both know very well to the basement. "I just want to enjoy some time with my friends before my parents burst in and act like I have to interact with them as well as you. Do either of you really want my parents coming in while we're doing the ritual?"

"No," Clio says as you shake your head, depositing your backpack on Ryo's bed in the corner of the basement. It's separated into two rooms and a bathroom. Ryo was the only that ventured down here, his parents enjoying the upstairs and making him come up instead of them come down.

Clio skips over to the other room, opening the door and stepping in with her bag. She swings it down from her shoulder, pulling out several candles and objects that you didn't have names for.

"It's been nine years since the second full moon and the blood eclipse," she says softly, setting up the missing candles. The pentagram is clear on the ground. You take off your hoodie, setting it outside the door. Ryo walks in last, shutting the door and securing the inner locks.

"It's a new moon tonight," you murmur, kneeling at the point that you had discussed with them. You were to the right of Ryo, Clio kneeling at his left. In front of you, Clio places a cup and a small knife.

"Tonight we summon the bound darkness to talk with," Ryo says and you lift the knife, cutting a line into your skin, watching it join the others. You place the cup to catch the drip of blood, watching it pool. You make a second cut and add more blood, just to be sure before passing it to Ryo.

"Darkness bound by the hands of light," Clio murmurs, lighting the last candle. The second room of the basement is stiffling and you close your eyes. You know in front of Ryo, there is a small, etched pentagram. You open your eyes, watching him pour your blood into the samll pentagram before passing it to Clio. She accepts it, placing the cup in the middle before sitting at her point.

"We call upon you, by blood virgin, blood pure." Ryo murmurs. "By blood so holy,"

You close your eyes, feeling your arms tingle. When you were younger, you had dreams of darkness eating away at you. You could watch it, at night, take over the regular darkness you had been accustomed to. It would turn eyes darker than dark to you, give you a smile, and speak to you as if you were an old friend. You had told your father's friend once, and he had given you a stick doll that you had named Grumples.

The stick doll was on your dresser, watching over your room. You hadn't been disturbed by the darkness when you slept since you gained the warrior made in the gods' names. Here, with the candle light flickering, you can feel the darkness seem to press down on you. You could imagine Grumples shattering on your dresser, no longer able to protect you from it. You could picture the darkness with teeth and eyes, barring into your soul.

"It hears and listens," you whisper. Only, you feel out of control of your body. You feel like something has you in its grips. Something beyond you. You see your mouth move, you feel something smooth slide over you. There are patches of your body that burn, where chains that hold you ate bay still gleam holy. You feel your heart beat renewed with the taste of holy blood. The gods let one wander, though they had combed the lands for those that had any tiny bit of holy power and herded them into their fold.

You grin, the darkness seeming to seeth around you. They did not look closely, they looked too afar. One would always escape and the holy blood would be the thing that freed you. You feel it run through your viens, blood made of ice, stronger than most of the humans they found and converted into shrine maidens, priests, and holy figures.

"The chains break,"

You can't tell what or who, when or where, but the words come nonetheless. You hear the shatter and you feel the burning. You're in your body, you're being pulled apart, you're burning, you're freezing cold. You feel someone laughing, you hear someone screaming and then you're back in the room, the darkness settling over you. The candles had gone out and you see your friends, their eyes wide.

"Koyo, you okay?" Ryo asks, shuffling and breaking his position. There is blood, your blood dried, on his hand from where he had touched the pentagram.

You press a hand to your forehead, feeling like you're swaying on a ship, back and forth before you feel a hand around your upper arm.

"Hey, come on now, don't pass back out on us." Clio says, her voice worried.

"Pass out?" You ask, dragging your gaze up to your friends. "Did neither of you...see that?" You ask, frowning.

"You've been out for about an hour," Ryo says, kneeling next to you and helping keep you stable, his shoulder wedged under yours. "Any longer and I was afraid I was going to have to haul your ass out of this room and then tell my parents that you ate something weird."

"No, I..." You press your hand to your forehead, nearly blanching when you saw the burn marks on your arm. "What happened?" You ask finally.

"You knocked over a candle when you fell." Clio says quietly. "It burned you,"

"Oh," you shake your head. "Can we get some food? I'm starving."

"Sure," Ryo says, standing. He offers you a hand and you take it, Clio standing up as well. Between the two of them, you stand on wobbly legs, your vision swimming as you let Ryo take your weight. "Are you sure you can make it up the stairs?"

"No, can I just...sit on your bed?" You ask, blinking to try and clear your vision. It didn't help, merely sending you into another dizzy fit. Ryo and Clio get you onto the bed and you flop, pulling your bag to you and fumbling for your phone.

/Dad, spending the night at Ryo's./  
/Should be back Sat night/Sun morn/

You send the message, closing your eyes and trying to piece together what had happened. You remembered the start of the ceromony. It had gone just as the three of you had planned, until Ryo had envoked the darkness using your blood.

/is everything alright?/

You frown, started by the message. You had been sure that your father was in a meeting of some sort. He had mentioned that he wouldn't be reachable for several days and that if you needed anything, to go to Nina right away.

/evrythngs ok y?/

You send the message, propping yourself up on an elbow, rather than laying on your back. You felt better, just knowing that your father was watching out for you.

/nina found grumples broken/

You frown at the message when you got it, scratching your head.

/he probably fell off my dresser/  
/the things old anyway/

You close your eyes, the next message coming much quicker than you were comfortable with.

/b safe/  
/see u sun night dinner/  
/love u/

You smile at the messages, sending him a smilie face and an okay. You give yourself several more minutes before pushing yourself into a sitting position. Ryo comes down with a pizza box several minutes later and you lick your lips.

"Just for you," he says teasingly, setting it in your lap. "Are you okay?"

"I'm feeling better," you say, opening the pizza and taking a slice happily. "Maybe I fainted because I forgot to bring lunch today." You offer, taking a bite. Clio comes down the stairs with two more pizza boxes and several bottles of soda, giving Ryo a dirty look.

"This fucker didn't want to help me carry it down. He was so worried about you." She complains, setting it on the table pushed to the side of the room.

"So were you," Ryo pouted, glancing at her. You listen to them bicker, eating the pizza at a steady rate as you ponder what had happened. You recalled seeing the darkness, feeling the burning of chains binding you. Then they had snapped.

"Yo, earth to Koyo!"

You blink as Ryo snaps his fingers in front of your face. You glance at him, grimacing. "Yeah?" You ask after a moment.

"You were zoning out. Are you sure you're okay?" Clio asks, watching you. "You look a bit pale."

"No, I'm fine. Probably just...tired." you say after a moment. "I don't have to be home until Sunday for dinner. What do you two want to do until then?" You ask, setting the half demolished pizza to the side. Ryo poked at it, picking us several of your abandoned crusts happily.

"Well, we were thinking of having sex." Clio says, gesturing to herself and Ryo. "But, if you don't, we can totally watch movies until you fall asleep or something."

"Gross," you decide, making a face at your friends. There had been several sleep overs that devolved into you falling asleep first and them having sex until early hours of the morning. "On the other hand..."

"You know we'd totally be okay with you joining us." Clio says with a smile, winking at you.

"Yeah, my parents won't be home until late." Ryo says, grinning. You glance at your two friends, rubbing your burnt wrist subconsciously as you consider the fact placed before you.

"Sure," you say after a moment.

****

"Want to come up to the temple with me?" You ask, rolling yourself off the bed and nearly falling onto your face on the floor. You catch yoruself using your hands, your burned wrist twinging in pain.

"I need to be home in about an hour," Clio grumbles, sitting up on the other side of Ryo. She pokes your mutual partner, Ryo opening an eye and offering her a half hearted glare.

"I can go up to the temple with you," he says, shoving himself into a sitting positon. "Oi, you okay down there?"

"Yeah, just fine." You say, looking at the burn mark. "What excuse do you think I can give dad for this?"

"Has he noticed any of the other cuts?" Ryo asks, moving to take your arm and examine the burn mark. He pauses, kissing the inside of your wrist.

"No," you say, letting him hold your hand.

"You've been cutting more, haven't you?" Clio asks softly, getting off the bed and looking for clothes she could wear. It's Sunday morning and Ryo's parents had called Friday night to let him know that they could not be home until Monday morning.

"Yeah," you sigh, tugging your arm away when Ryo continues to merely stare at it, intent on something, though you weren't sure what.

"You know you can talk to us if you're having issues," Clio says, tugging on a shirt once she had found her bra. "You're always welcome to stay at home with me too, if you need to get out of your place for awhile. My parents absolutely adore you."

"I know," you say with a sigh, getting up and finding clothes that you could wear. It didn't matter if actually belonged to you or Ryo.

"Can I stay for dinner?" Ryo asks, gaze skittering to you. "If you don't mind,"

"No, it's not a problem," you say, fishing out your cellphone and turning it on.

/can Ryo come over for dinner?/

You send the message to your father, jumping when Ryo wraps his arm around your waist, kissing your neck.

"We can see if having sex on holy grouns is any better," he offers and you shove him away, rolling your eyes.

"You seriously can't still be wanting to have more, can you?" Clio scoffs.

"What can I say? I'm a young, healthy man." He laughs and ducks when Clio throws a shirt at him. You catch the shirt, eyeing it and tugging it on when you realize it was one of the ones that you had left here several weeks ago.

/yes he can/

You glance down at the message, showing it to Ryo. "Dinner at my house then," you say. "And it's not going to be take out. Last I checked, they stopped delivering to us because it always showed up cold. Not that Nina cared. They also hated walking up all those steps. And if dad is back, he's going to be cooking. And he cooks a lot better than Nina."

"Man, I wish I could join you. I have a stupid dinner party my parents are dragging me to for mom's work." Clio sighs, shoving the rest of her things in her bag. "I guess we'll all be walking to the bus stop?"

"yeah," Ryo says, finally getting a move on for getting dressed.

It takes several minute but the three of you finally head out, Ryo leaving the door unlocked with a shrug. It was a common habit for most of the people in the village, knowing that many didn't bother with break ins unless it was someone new and untrustworthy.

"So your parents gone next weekend too?" Clio asks, nudging Ryo with her elbow. He moves to the other side of you, threading his arm through yours.

"Maybe," he says, sticking out his tongue. "The ritual to commune with the darkness obviously didn't work. We could try something else. I don't know, maybe start with the lesser gods or smoething. Things that are...I don't know, easier to get ahold of maybe?"

"Oh man, don't tell me you actually believe in it." Clio says, eyes flashing.

"I think Ryo's right," you say, quiet. "I can nab some things from the temple, if we want to try the gods. I'm sure Nina and dad planted plants that all the major and minor gods liked. And something about holy angels? I didn't know angels couldn't be holy, but it's been a while since they've talked lore at me."

"Maybe we could let it rest for a week." Ryo says, glancing over your head to Clio. She nods in agreement, taking your hand and humming.

"Yeah, you really freaked us out." She admits. "We were afraid we'd have to call your father and tell him."

"He's been busy with something about work. He wouldn't have been able to answer anyway." You grumble, ducking your head and kicking at a rock. Clio watches it, batting at it with her shoe when you three come up on it.

"We can kick around and watch movies," Ryo suggests. "Just relax next weekend, ya know? We have finals coming up soon anyway. Then we have a whole summer to do whatever."

"It's going to be my sixteenth birthday in three weeks, just in time for finals to be over." You pipe up. "Maybe we can do something special."

"Just let us know," Clio says with a wink and you flush, kicking the rock hard enough for it to careen into the street. The three of you split up at the bus stop, Clio skipping her way down the street while you and Ryo waited.

****

It's quiet when yo ureach the steps of the temple, the bus driver waving and asking when Ryo would need to be picked up. He merely shrugged, saying he'd find another way home. Looking at the temple, you feel your heart lurch. It feels different than it had that Friday morning.

"Hey, you okay?" Ryo asks, pausing and you realize he had started walking up with you. You begin to move, nodding your head.

"Yeah, just, tired." You say after a moment, your gaze scanning the clearing. "It looks like Nina is doing work in the main temple. Skirt around it once we reach the top of the stairs."

"How can you tell?" Ryo asks curiously.

"The smoke," you say, pointing at where you could see it trailing in the afternoon sky. "It must be something important. Usually they don't burn stuff like that if it isn't."

"Cool," Ryo smirks. "Can we watch?"

"No, we shouldn't..." You say after a moment's hesitation. "Let's just leave them to their work." The two of you indeed skirt the edge of the temple, multiple voices greeting you when you head to the small house in the back. It's quiet inside when you shut the door, a smell wafting from the kitchen.

"Looks like they're cooking for a bunch of people." Ryo comments.

You glance towards the kitchen, grimacing when you smell the air. "Dad may have brought guests over. I suppose he's bound to do it every once in a while, though usually he mentions..." You glance at your phone, shoving it back in your pocket and heading to your room.

You and Ryo settle down to play video games, the noise of several pairs of footsteps making you draw your head up.

"I'm going to let dad know we're here." You say, standing and putting your controller to the side. You glance at your dresser, seeing the broken lump that was Grumples until just recently. You recall the face of the man that had made you the doll out of what he had in his pockets and bits around Garuru's temple. It had-until recently-been one of your favorite pieces to stare at when you couldn't sleep.

"Dad?" You call, stepping into the main house.

"Oh, hello," a man with purple eyes says, turning to you. He lets out a smile, holdign out his hand. "I'm Ken Ichijouji, one of your father's coworkers."

"Nice to meet you," you say, eyeing his hand before taking it. "Is dad still in the temple?"

"He is," Ken says with a nod. You shift when you realize that his gaze is still on you, his eyes seeming to calculate as they take you in. You shiver, pulling your hand out of his grasp. "Would you like me to let him know that you're home? I'm about to head back down there myself."

"If you don't mind." You say, retreating into your room before Ken could respond and shutting the door.

"Koyo, you look...spooked," Ryo says, turning his attention to you. He had continued to play the game where you had paused it. You turn, sitting next to him and shaking your head. You rub your hands against your thighs, wishing the numbness that had seeped in when Ken had shaken your hand would go away.

"Dad's still down in the temple," you say by way of explanation. "One of his...coworkers? Yeah, that's what he called himself. Anyway, he's going back down to the temple and he'll tell dad that we're here." Ryo nods, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and rubbing your upper arm.

"It'll be okay. We can tell them about what we tried to do Friday, if you think it would help." He offers.

"He'd probably kill me." You say, laughing and shaking your head. "No, it'd be better if we didn't mention it, you know what I mean?"

He nods, and you nestle your head against his hsoulder, watching him lazily play video games around you.

****

"A child?"

You shift as Jyou cocks an eyebrow at you.

"We've been hunting down the scattered children of gods for near on a decade now." Sora complains, rubbing her wrist. "And you just now are telling us that you had a kid?"

You look at the five elder gods, hands in your pockets as you scuff the floor with your shoe. "I hadn't thought about it before." You admit. "He's well protected and doesn't show any interest in the divine, the arcane, magick, witchcraft, or ceremonial magick. Not even stage magic. I'm pretty sure he's completely human."

"How old is your son?" Mimi asks, tipping her head back against the temple wall. The six of you had gathered at Taichi's main temple, several weeks before the nine year anivesary of your last meet.

"Fifteen, sixteen in about two months." You explain.

"He has a spirit doll," Taichi speaks up.

"You knew about this?" Jyou protests.

"It was an accident that I happened to meet him." Taichi offers as way of explanation. "I went to see Yamato after our meeting. We spoke with the angels, I told you that much. His kid interrupted during the vision. After we received the important information at least. He spoke of shadows trying to eat him. I made him a spirit doll. As long as that doll stands, there is nothing that is getting to him."

"He spends most of his time in the temple. And if he's not there, he spends it at school or with his two friends. Both whose parents have warded their house against darkness of any sort." You say, holding up your hands in surrender.

"Does he know?" Koushiro asks.

"No," you say with a shake of your head. "I was hoping that... Well, I was hoping that he would end up human. He hasn't shown any sign of power, other than the occasional vision, but those stopped when he was six."

"When he got the doll." Taichi questions, though it was said more as a statement.

"Yes, when he received the doll." You respond.

"There is a chance that he will be completely mundane." Koushiro says. "We all know that several of our direct descendents had never inherited our powers, just for their children to end up with them, or for them to appear later on the line. Yamato, did you have any direct descendents that inherited your powers before?"

You consider the thought, slowly shaking your head. "Most of mine did not make it out of childhood." You say finally. "That was ages ago, when child mortality rates were through the roof. His mother died in childbirth as is."

"And that's why you stayed at the temple," Koushiro summerizes.

"Yes," you say.

"We'll have to meet him, see what he's like." Mim says after a moment. "Even if you haven't seen any sign of your blood in him, it would be unwise to let him go unchecked."

"I know," you say quietly, sitting on the low seating and putting your head in your hands. "Would it have been better to tell you early on?"

"Maybe nine years ago," Sora says. "But the past is the past, there is nothing we can do to change it. What we can do is work on figuring out where the Crystal lake will summit once more. We need to create the new chains sooner, rather than later."

You feel a hand on your shoulder, turning to look up at Jyo as he smiles, sitting next to you.

"We'll be by in a couple of weeks," he says softly. "Ken and I, that is. We'll meet with him and settle your worries Yamato."

"Thank you," you say quietly. He nods, patting your shoulder and getting up.

****

"Koyo is home," Ken says quietly, stepping back into the temple. "He did not seem to be feeling well."

"Probably lack of sleep, he was with his friends the last couple of days." You say, glancing over your shoulder. "Are we almost done here? If this goes on too much longer, the food is going to start burning."

"You impatient wolf," Nina snorts, shifting through her bone set. "Yes, we are almost done here. If you call almost being another hour."

"No, we're almost done." Jyou promises, looking up from where he was kneeling across from Nina. "Thank you Ken for checking."

"Not a problem," the lesser god says, smiling.

"How did you ever survive being a god if you can't stay still for five minutes. Stop moving!" Nina snaps and you still your fingers, taking a breath and centering yourself.

"There," she says, sitting up and rubbing her lower back. "The summit will be open in two weeks' time at the highest peak of the fire mountains, Birdra's territory."

"She'll be able to grant us safe passage then?" You ask, eyes brightening.

"It's going to appear in the middle of an active volcano." Nina says, brushing her hair out of her face. She smirks, glancing up at you. "Nothing that you six can't handle, now is it?"

"Of course it has to be lava," Jyou says with a sigh. "Thank you Nina for your divining skills."

"Not a problem Lord Ikakku," she says with a bow.

"Please, call me Jyou." He says. "I insist, seeing as you are having us for dinner." He adds as Nina opens her mouth to protest. She smiles, standing up and beginning to braid her hair.

"And do not hesitate to call me Ken," Ken adds with a smile.

"Well, if you insist. Now, you." She says, turning on you. You take a step back, holding up your hands. "If you learned even a shred of patience in the last fifteen years, I would be utterly surprised. But, at the same time, that is the longest you've stayed still, so you've at least learned something. When someone tells you to sit still, you should just. Sit. Still. You dragged this whole process on longer than it needed to go. Go finish dinner and check up on your son."

You merely nod and scamper out of the temple, listening to Jyou laugh behind you. You head into the kitchen, glancing at your son's room and breathing in deeply. Jyou is in the kitchen right behind you, surveying the house quietly.

"Are you going to tell him?" He asks, stepping next to you.

"Tell him?" You ask, stirring the soup pot and turning it down to a simmer when you noticed it was nearly boiling over.

"If you don't tell your son, he's going to come into his power on his own. He'll be confused and lonely." Jyou says softly, resting a hand on your shoulder. "I know it's hard to talk to him about it, but he has a strong aura about him. You can't keep it a secret much longer Yamato."

"I know," you sigh. "I tried to believe that he was human, that this wouldn't effect him...but it had when he was younger. It had because he had visions of the darkness the same night-"

You jump when you hear a clatter, Nina at least looking guilty as she picked up the broom. "Should I check on Koyo?" She asks.

"Right, his friend is here as well." You call out as Nina moves further into the house. She nods, Ken looking guilty as Jyou takes a step away from you.

You listen to Nina knock on Koyo's door, honing in your hearing to listen.

"Hey Ryo," she says, opening the door. "Dinner's almost ready. Is Koyo sleeping?"

"Yeah," Ryo comments and you hear a video game pause. "I can wake him up."

"Yes please, dinner will be soon. How are you doing Ryo? Did you have a pleasant weekend?"

"We did," he says, and you hear Koyo stir. You return to your cooking, just barely hearing Nina talk.

"Would you like to spend the night?" You ask the other two, pulling the soup off the stove and grabbing several bowls. You ladel up four of them, nodding towards the extra room.

"Would you mind us staying?" Jyou asks, taking a bowl with a smile and a faint bow of his head. Ken did the same, both of them filtering to the table.

"Of course not, that's why I offered." You explain.

"Then we will, thank you." Jyou says with a smile. You glance up when you hear Koyo and Ryo shuffle in, your son looking more tired than usual as he slumps down in his chair. Jyou gives you a look, arching an eyebrow and you sigh.

"How was your weekend? Nice to see you Ryo," you say, setting down two bowls of soup and grabbing two more for yourself and Nina.

"It went well, thank you." Ryo says, nudging Koyo to sit up straight. "We got some work done on our semester final project."

"And you worked on that in between watching movies and playing video games all hours of the night?" You guess.

"Of course," Koyo comments, thanking you for the soup. His gaze darts to Jyou and Ken curiously. "I'm surprised you're bringing work home dad. Usually you keep it private."

You listen to Jyou choke on his soup, eyes going wide as Nina saunters in, lightly smacking the back of Koyo's head. You decidedly take a drink of your own soup, keeping your gaze on your son.

"Of course I keep work matters and personal affairs separate." You say, setting your spoon down. "There are things that I do that you couldn't even imagine."

Koyo's gaze glints, and he sticks his chin out, stubbornly staring you down. "Are you too afraid to admit that you're a whore?" He asks casually.

Ryo chokes on his food, clearing his throat as you sigh, rubbing your temples.

/"This is why we never raised kids."/ Jyou comments quietly. /"They always assume the worst."/

/"His mother died, what was I supposed to do? Abandon him on some hapless human?"/ You ask, glancing at Jyou.

/"You could have told him sooner."/ Jyou offers. /"Though I do see that he has your reserved but brutal personality."/

Koyo watches the silent exchange that you and Jyou have via thought and you shake your head slowly.

"Koyo, please apologize to Yamato." Nina says, taking a seat and staring down the boy.

"No, I think he has a valid point." You say after a moment.

/"Be careful as to how you phrase that."/ Jyou offers as he takes a sip of his soup.

"Really?" Koyo asks, rolling his eyes.

"No, not really." You snort. "What's wrong? You're never this...standoffish around guests."

"I'm tired," he says finally, shoulders slumping. "Of the secrets, of the not knowing. You whisper in corners, don't tell me anything about yourself. By the way, the final project was to make a family tree. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail that, seeing as you haven't been around for me to even talk to you about it. You won't tell me half of what you do. You've been disappearing for days on end, without hardly a note. Other than, 'on business' but it's not something you did when I was younger. So, my conclusion. You're either part of some underground mafia or you're a prostitute. You can take your pick."

"Didn't you also throw around the idea that he was a secret Russian spy at one point?" Ryo comments. "Or was it French?"

"American, actually. But then I realized that a spy wouldn't be so set on staying in a temple when they could be working somewhere much more interesting." Koyo says and you have to keep yourself from laughing at the absurdity of it all.

"Not the worst guess," you say finally, masking your face into that of a stern father.

/"Has he gone cracked?"/ Ken asks politely. /"He does seem very unwell."/

/"Perhaps I can take a look at him, if you would like me too?"/ Jyou offers and you glance at your dinner guests.

/"I will keep that in mind, thank you. For now, which guess should I go with?"/

"The truth," Jyou says with a shrug and you see Koyo glance up at the spoken words, frowning. "You've heard the stories of the six gods, haven't you?"

"Sure," Koyo says and you take another bite of soup.

/"You're not playing by the rules."/

/"You never bound me from keeping it a secret from him."/ Jyou smiles. "The six gods faced the darkness and won, with the help of two holy angels. They were originally six animals, beasts that knew how to protect and hunt the land. They were old, for their time. They were wise. The holy angels sought them out, offered them a choice. Protect the land, now and forever, or be forced to flee from the darkness and die an agonizing death."

"Yeah, that's what the myths say." Ryo says, more invisted in the story than in the food, the first you had seen him not inhale whatever food had been set before him.

"The six beasts agreed, gaining human form and shape. They fought against the darkness, finding chians to bind it. When it was said and done, the six beasts were nearly dead. They-"

"They rested," You say quietly, cutting off Jyou. "It was hundreds of years after that humans began to call the beasts gods, to give them names fo rthe animals that they were. Hundreds of years before they could move and function because of the fight with the darkness. No one knows how the stories began, but they revived the beasts and called them gods. Perhaps it was the work of the angels, we don't know."

"We?" Koyo asks, glancing at you.

"As in those of us that work within the mythologies," you say with a shrug.

"As in the gods that walk this earth." Jyou protests. You sigh, shaking your head. "There are things that are older than human conscious," he says.

"And you're saying what, the gods are real?" Koyo asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Jyou says with a nod.

"Prove it," Koyo challenges.

"Let's step outside then." Jyou offers, standing up from the table. You rub your temples, considering the options before you.

"There's the field just to the left of the house. It was supposed to be for crops, but I never got around to planting it. I would prefer if you didn't destroy the herb garden." You say, holding up your bowl and taking a sip of soup.

"Aren't you coming?" Jyou asks.

"I think I'm going to enjoy my soup." You say with a wave. "You enjoy your...what is that you're doing? No, wait, Jyou, you're-stop, wait!" you scramble out of your seat as Jyou walks out of the house. Koyo and Ryo following curiously.

"Wait what?" Jyou asks, turning to face you in the empty field.

"You're going-" You sigh as you feel the air shift, Jyou staring you down. It's several minutes before you're looking at the beast Ikakku, Koyo staring open mouthed.

"To get stuck," you say after a moment, Jyou letting out a snort.

"Now you tell me?" He asks.

"What....the hell?" Koyo asks.

"About two hundreds years ago, Taichi and I got really drunk during one of the moon festivals. Lots of really great drinks put out for me and we indulged more than a little too much, you know? I put a stipulation down that no one could shift without ending up stuck." You explain, running a hand through your hair. "Mainly because, I was drunk and thought it would be funny. If it helps, Taichi ended up stuck and pissed off too...?"

"Garuru," Jyou growls and you're dogging the massive furred water creature, ducking into the trees. You turn, eyes flashing and let out a low, mostly playful growl, as you surge forward, shedding your human body for the first time in a long time as you crash into him.

"When the cat's away," you grin, darting around his horn and butting his shoulder with your head.

****

"You're saying that your dad is...a god?" Clio asks, holding out her fork to you as you sit at the table outside.

"Yeah, it was...pretty strange." Ryo cuts in. You stab at your food, grimacing into your plate.

"He lied to me," you say quietly. Your gaze darts over to them and you drop your fork, Ryo frowning.

"Come on, you haven't eaten much since Sunday. You should at least try to finish lunch." Ryo says and you rub your wrist, shaking your head.

"I'm not hungry," you say, getting up from the table and taking the food to the trash can. You could feel Ryo and Clio give each other a worried look before you turn back around and join them at the table again. "And my head hurts. Honestly, I wanted to stay home, but I didn't want dad-" you almost spit out the word as you sit, "hovering like he does when I'm sick."

"My parents lied to me a lot too," Clio says quietly. "It's kind of a shitty thing they end up doing, because they think it would be better for you."

"You're welcome to stay at my place if you need to. My parents won't care." Ryo offers. "They're always happy to see you around."

"Maybe," you say, resting your forehead on the table and staring at the ground. "I'm thinking of ditching the rest of today."

"I'm down," Ryo says and you resist the urge to groan.

"I was thinking of just...I don't know. I need time to think, maybe?" You say finally. Ryo had spent the night that night. You had thought-wished, hoped, prayed-that it had been a nightmare, a joke. But, when you woke up in the morning, it was all still there. Jyou had apologized for revealing the whole 'we're really the gods' to you in such a messy fashion. But, as he pointed out so helpfully, Yamato was never going to tell you in his own way.


	6. Memory Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake every morning, thinking that there is something missing.
> 
> And when it stumbles into a coffee shop, you have to wonder if it was for good reason.
> 
> Characters: Taichi Yagami, Yamato Ishida, Koushiro Izumi  
> Pairings: Taichi/Yamat/Koushiro  
> TW: Implied Character Death, Memory loss, implied violence, sacrifice, suicidal ideation, suicide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was written, or last worked on, 12/27/17.
> 
> I'm pretty sure there was some italics that got fucked up, but I don't honestly remember where stuff was supposed to go. So, enjoy this.

You sit down at the table, back stiff as you rest your hands flat. It's storming outside and you had ducked into the cafe to get out of the worst of it. There's a quiet flow of chatter through the cafe and you let your gaze slide through the menu restlessly.

You're in your mid twenties. You can recall half remembered adventures, but they're hazy.

"Is this seat taken?"

You glance up when you hear the question, frowning at the man. His hair sticks up in every direction and, after a quick glance, you shake your head. More patrons had filled in, taking the other avaliable seating.

"Feel free," you say and the man sits down across from you.

"Sorry, do I know you?"

You frown when you hear the question, letting your gaze slide up from your drink to take in the man across from you. "I don't think so," you say after a moment.

"You're right, you look a lot like someone I used to know." The man leans back, and lets out a soft laugh. "Haven't seen him in years, I don't know why I thought I would run into him in a place like this... I'm Taichi!" He sticks out his hand and you glance down at it. He watches you for a moment, slowly lowering it back to the table. "Sorry, I get it. I'm a stranger, this is a coffee shop. It must be fate, right?"

"That's not what I was going to say." You say, feeling your heart beat faster. The name he offered had sounded so familiar. It makes your heart ache and you want to scream.

"Oh?"

You glance up, watching him. He offers you a smile and you shake your head. "Have you lived in Odaiba long?" You ask, toying with the drink in front of you.

"I moved away several years ago, I'm back now." Taichi says and you nod. "What about you?"

"Eh?" You frown at the question, shaking your head. "I lost a lot of memory in a car accident about three years back. Can't say exactly how long I've been here. Dad says it's been a while but..." You shrug, offering a 'what can you do?' gesture.

"Really?" Taichi asks with a raised eyebrow and you nod.

"It was a bad accident," you say simply. You remember waking up in the starile hospital room. It had taken the doctors a few days to get you up to speed with the fact that you had gapping holes in your memories. You had given them basic information, your name, your father's name, a number but...

"I'm sorry for prying," Taichi says and you glance away.

"It's fine," you say, hand idly tracing the grain on the table. "You...look familiar." You say after a moment, gaze flicking up to Taichi's face.

"I don't know if we ever met. I never got a name." Taichi says and you shift.

"Yamato," you say and you see Taichi's eyes widden.

"Y-Yamato?" He says and you nod. "We thought you-"

"Who's we?" You ask and Taichi takes a breath, sitting back down. You hadn't even realized he had shoved his chair back and stood.

"We used to be friends." He says slowly. "There was a party that we went to, several years ago, and you...disappeared." He says, and you can tell that he's picking his words carefully. "You and your brother-"

"I don't have a brother." You say and Taichi gaps at you, his mouth hanging open.

"Takeru, your younger brother." He says and you shake your head again.

"I haven't met anyone saying that they're my brother." You say. "I don't know you."

"Of course," he says, voice soft. "I only thought..."

"Sorry." You say quickly. "But I don't know what you mean."

"I would like to be friends." Taichi says and you glance over your shoulder, judging the storm outside. It's getting lighter and people are leaving. You turn your attention back to Taichi.

"You say you knew me?" You ask.

"Yes," Taichi says with a nod. "I don't know what happened, but I worried about you when you disappeared. I thought you were dead."

"I may as well be." You say, fishing out a pen from your pants pocket. You hesitate, scribbling down your number and passing it over to Taichi. "But, there's a lot of things I don't understand. I'm willing to talk to you later. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's getting dryer outside and I have to go. I'll take your number as well," you pass him the pen and wait, taking his number on the half of the napkin and putting it in your pocket.

You get up, and you hear Taichi start to say something but you walk away, back to him.

****

"Taichi, you have to slow down."

You pause in your pace, turning to stare down your roommate. "It was him Koushiro!" You say, gritting your teeth. You had returned to the apartment as soon as Yamato had left the cafe. You had been rained on the whole way, but you had to talk to someone about it.

"We don't know what happened to Takeru and Yamato." Koushiro says, placing a hand on your shoulder. You glance at him, taking a breath and releasing the tension in your jaw.

"He gave me his number," you say finally, fishing the napkin out of your pocket. "We shouldn't have let them leave the party."

"Takeru insisted that he could drive. There was nothing that we could have done to stop them." Koushiro says, gentle as he leads you to sit at the table. "Okay, so say this is Yamato. You say he didn't remember you."

"No, he... He said it was a bad accident. He didn't even know who Takeru was." You force yourself to not grit your teeth, watching Koushiro move around the kitchen.

The two of you had moved in together nearly two years ago. Sometimes, you still feel like you're in a dream when you wake up next to him. A nightmare, that didn't seem to be ending anytime soon. You had relied heavily on Koushiro when Yamato had simply vanished. Neither Yamato nor Takeru's parents would answer your calls when you started worrying about the brothers.

"Drink," Koushiro says, setting the cup of tea in front of you. You clasp your hands around it, feeling Koushiro's hand brush your shoulder. "What would change if this is our Yamato?"

"I don't know," you say after a moment. "I..."

"You miss Yamato," Koushiro says, voice gentle. "I'm not saying that it isn't him Taichi,"

"I know," you say, taking Koushiro's hand in yours, having set your tea aside. "Everything we did when we were younger, it doesn't feel right if we aren't all together. The digital world, the fighting, the wars... Everything,"

"I know," Koushiro says, gentle as he pulls his hand out of your grip. "I have to go into the office tomorrow."

"Yeah," you say, placing your hands around the cup once more. "I have a therapist appointment in the morning, will you wake me up before you leave?"

"Are you doing okay Taichi?" Koushiro asks and you look up at him. His eyes are wide, worry clear to see.

You give a slow shake of your head, raising the cup to your lips to give yourself time to think. "No, but I am working on getting better. There are...things that I have to accept and move on with." You set the cup back down after another long drink. "I miss him Koushiro,"

"I know, I miss him too." Koushiro says, voice ever gentle. "Taichi, you aren't alone."

"I know," you say with a smile, looking up at him. "Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?"

"Did you forget to go grocery shopping?" Koushiro asks and you offer him a sheepish grin. He just shakes his head, letting out a small laugh. "We can order take out, stay in tonight. Watch a movie?"

"Sounds good," you agree.

****

"Do you know your name?"

You're in a white room, the heart monitor keeping track of your pulse. You look at the doctor blankly, slowly shaking your head. Everything hurts and it's hard to understand what he's saying.

"Do you know the gentleman that was in the car with you?" That's someone else talking and you shake your head again. You have been there for several days now. You had woken up in paint. You fall asleep in pain and everything is a blur. It's hard to understand what happened, but you had heard the words "car accident", "dead on site", and "memory lose".

There's a man every once in awhile, visiting you. He looks grief stricken and you wonder what he's mourning. He claims he's your father. And you don't know who he is, but you tell him that you remember him and he breaks down sobbing.

Only, you don't actually know who he is. Everything up to the point of you waking up in the hospital is gone. You can walk, you can talk, you have the motor movements stored in the muscle memory of your body. But everything else is like slogging through mud. You learn your name, you learn your father's name.

But you don't know who you are. It makes you wonder if there is something that is important. And when you see the scarring on your chest, running across a tattoo that your father can't tell you the meaning of, you understand that you were lucky to even survive.

You feel like there is something on the edge of your memory. Something that you should know. It took you three years to get a job, convince your father that you were okay with living on your own. You moved back to Odaiba, feeling drawn to the town though you don't know why.

And the white room haunts you in your dreams.

You sit up in bed, feeling your pulse race. The dream is already fading and you want to scream. It hurts to know and, when you look around the room, you see the napkin with the number on the nightstand.

You get up, claiming your phone and dailing the number. You stare at it, feeling your heart begin to slow. You stare at the phone for another few minutes before pressing call.

"Hello, Yagami Taichi, how can I help you?"

You jump at the answering voice and when you glance at the clock on your table, you see that it's nearly ten in the morning.

"Hello?" The voice says again and you take a breath to calm your nerves.

"Hello Taichi, this is Yamato. We met at the cafe several days ago?" You say, wanting to take back the words as soon as you said them. You sound too unsure of yourself and you don't want him to think that you are.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if you wanted me to call or text you." Taichi says and you hear something fall to the floor with a thud.

"Am I interrupting something?" You ask, feeling stupid for even asking.

"No, Koushiro just dropped a book." Taichi says.

"Sounds like a heavy book," you comment, listening to someone shuffling in the background. You hear a door slide open and then shut.

"Yeah, he keeps a couple computer manuals lying around. I don't know what he uses them for other than paper weights. What do I owe the honor of receiving a call?" Taichi asks.

"I..." You hesitate, frowning. Why did you call him? "You told me that we used to be friends. When I was in my accident, I lost all of my memories. I suppose I am looking... I'm looking for who I was."

"That's a loaded question." Taichi says and you frown.

"What do you mean?" You ask, cursing yoruself for the sharpness in your voice.

"Do you remember anything?" Taichi asks and you let out a sigh.

"I have dreams sometimes... They don't make sense. It's a blur of colors, sounds..." You hesitate, trying to recall the dreams that never made sense. Words that didn't make sense to you. There's the feeling of fur, of companionship. You shake your head. "I always figured it was my subconscious trying to reach out to me. Coudln't put words or make sense of it at all."

"Huh, interesting." Taichi says and you let out a huff of annoyance.

"Yes, total memory loss is very interesting." You mutter. You hear the door on the other end open and shut once more.

"Sorry, that's not-KOUSHIRO!"

You pull the phone away from your ear when you hear the shout. You sit down at your small table, fiddling with a pen and a piece of paper. "Koushiro?" You ask.

"He's my partner," Taichi says. "We've been together for a few years now. I just, damn, he's at the office."

"Er, why...is that necissary?" You ask.

"He has something that... Sorry, there's something that I want to show you. It's a couple of pictures from when we were younger. Our friend group and..." Taichi hesitates and you frown.

"And?" You press.

"I guess it doesn't matter. I'm in over my head." Taichi lets out a sigh. "I'm sorry,"

"We were good friends," you guess.

"Yeah, really good friends." Taichi says and you hear a hurt in your voice that you hadn't thought possible from someone like him. He had seemed so... Happy and down to earth when you spoke to him.

"I'm sorry," you say but you're not sure why. "Can we meet up again?"

"Sure, I would be able to after an appointment Saturday afternoon," Taichi says and you glance at your work schedule.

"I have Saturday off, what time?" You ask.

"One? We can go to the cafee that we met each other at." He suggests and you feel a tension you hadn't notice fade from you.

"That sounds good. I'll see you then." You hesitate, wondering what was missing. "Hey Taichi?"

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Do you have any pictures?" You ask.

"From before?" Taichi questions.

"Yeah, before the accident." You agree.

"I have tons!" Taichi says and you offer your phone a small smile. "I'll bring them on Saturday!"

"Thank you," you say and the two of you bid each other good bye, hanging up.

****

"You seem distracted today, is there something going on Taichi?"

You turn your attention back to the therapist, offering her a half shrug. "I am distracted, I'm meeting up with an old friend after this."

"Is the digimon portal open?" The therapist asks.

"Nah, nothing like... Like that," you say, hands folded in your lap. "I told you that Koushiro and I are polyamorous?"

"Yes, you mentioned it once." The therapist shifts and you remember how many therapists you had gone through before you found him. He had been willing to work with you, work with one of the previous digidestined and actually help, rather than cover up your past hurts.

"We thought Yamato had died. His father never told us... He's still alive, just doesn't have any memories of us. His father told us he died. I guess... I'm bitter that we were lied to." You say finally. "Hiroaki lied to us when we asked if Yamato returned home. We had a funeral for Takeru, for Yamato. But..." Your breath hitches and you glance away.

"We discussed the lsos of Yamato, but to know he's still alive." The therapist pauses, watching you.

"It hurts," you say finally, looking up from your folded hands. "It pisses me off that I was lied to. And it hurts that he doesn't remember us at all. No memory of the digital world, of Gabumon, of us, of any of it."

"How has your relationship been with Koushiro?" The therapist asks.

"It was rocky, for awhile, but we still had each other. It wouldn't have been right to shut him out. There... There were a couple of months wehre I can't recall much. I think, after that, was when I started to really seek help. There were issues I didn't want to deal with when it came to the digital world. After Yamato's death, I had to take a long, hard look at myself and make me understand what was wrong." You sit back, straightening your spine to look at the man.

"You have come a long way in a little over a year." The man says with a nod. "There is part of you that you have allowed to grow strong in our time together. You're improving,"

"Yeah," you agree and you glance at your phone, reading the text.

_Will you be home for dinner tonight?_

You tuck the phone back into your pocket, glancing back up at the man. "There's still room to grow though." You say finally. "The nightmares still come."

"And how has your depression been?" He asks.

"Manageable." You say, letting out a long breath. "The suicidal thoughts are still there, but they're not prominant. There's the small part of me that says it would be easy. But, that part doesn't steer. I won't act on the thoughts and I do have someone to talk to if I can't talk myself down."

"And how is Koushiro doing?" He asks.

You consider the question, picking over what he is asking before you settle on an answer. "There's less stress between our relationship now. We aren't fighting against each other because we need an outlet. He's working for his friend's company that lives in the states. He's enjoying himself a lot with the work, and I've been looking at different things that I can do that I'm interested in. Coaching kids' soccer is nice, but I want to do something more as well. It's healthier than it has been in awhile, our relationship as a whole, but it does feel like something is missing. I'm hoping that Yamato will be what I still remember him to be, but I understand that he has suffered a tragic event. In a way, I'm almost jealous of him."

"Jealous?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "Why would you be jealous?"

"He doesn't remember everything that we went through." You say finally. You close your eyes, images of the destruction that the digimon had wrought coming forth. You swallow, opening your eyes again. "When we rebooted the digital world, we thought we would never be able to get our partners back. Then we did, and they began to remember because the reboot didn't work correctly. And..." You grimace. "We watched our partners sacrifice themselves to keep the portal closed, to save our world and theirs. I would give anything to have my partner back. At least he's lucky because he won't remember the pain we went through in order to get where we are. I miss my partner, more than anything. I wouldn't trade my memories for anything in the world. But, there are times where I want to forget. Where I want to wake up in the morning with my boyfriend, go about my day, and not wonder if my friend that was by my side for years, is even alive."

It had been horrific. Your partners had given their all to save the digital world and your own. They had become something new, that much Koushiro had been able to figure out. The looks of horror on your friends' faces when you realized that there was no going back. The reboot didn't work, but the sealing had. There would be no more digital world. There would be no more fights.

"Taichi?"

You jerk your head up when you hear the voice, forcing your breathing to settle back down. "Sorry, I was..."

"Your partners and what happened?" He guessed and you nodded. It had made the news, the information that the digital world would never affect the human world again. You had been hailed as saviors. You had been offered grants, money, the ability to work anywhere you wanted, a position in the army if you so desired. But you and your friends had lost so much more in those few seconds than any of the other people would ever understand.

"It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth," you say finally. "The world wants to call us saviors and yet mock and degrade our partners in the same breath. Without the digimon, we would have never survived. We were _ten_ when we first went to the digital world with no help but ourselves! No one understood the mental strain that took on us." You take a breath, feeling your stomach hurt at the thought. "And they called our partners monsters. They saved us, helped us, defended us, and this world," here you smack your hand against the couch to make your point, "insists on calling them monsters and degrading them. They want to look at us as heroes and disregard them. People died! Our friends died and no one wanted to acknowledge them for what they did! We fought for years and kept our silence. We're broken, but no one wanted to help us."

Your breathing is ragged and you sit back on the couch, realizing that you had started yelling. You offer the therapist a glance, feeling bad. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"No, it's understandable." The man says, and he looks at you. "I will admit, when you first came to me, I had read the reports and did the research into what was known about the digital world and you are correct. They pegged all the digimon as terrible beings that shouldn't exist without ever giving any of your partners the respect they deserve. Taichi, you are not alone. You have your friends, and you know that your partner still exists within your memory."

"I know, it's not the same." You whisper.

"No, it's not. But it helps to let it out. It helps to hear someone say it. How are your friends?" He asks.

"They're..." You hesitate, trying to remember the last time that you had all gotten together. It hadn't happened since Takeru's funeral. "I talk to Sora on occasion, I know Mimi is in England. Jyou is working as a doctor. I believe Hikari still talks to Miyako, Iori, Ken, and Daisuke, but I haven't heard from them."

"Perhaps meeting and talking will help everyone." The therapist suggests and you nod in agreement. It would be nice to see everyone, even if it was only for a brief moment. "You need to remind yourself, and them, that you are not alone in this."

You nod, grabbing your back when you pull your phone out of your pocket again. "I believe that's the end of the session, I have something I need to do. Thank you for this."

"It's not a problem Taichi, I am here to help. Next week Wednesday?" He asks and you nod, walking out of the room and talking t othe receptionist. You schedule the apointment, tucking the card in your pocket and looking over at the message from Koushiro.

_I'll be home for dinner._  
_What do you think of doing a meetup of the old digidestined?_

You hesitate upon sending the last message, glancing up at the sky. It's a sunny winter afternoon, the warmth weak as you walk down the street to the cafe. You would be there earlier than expected, but it didn't bother you. You nearly jump when you hear your ringtone play, picking it up after a heartbeat.

"What's up?" You ask, tucking your free hand into your pocket.

"Do you want me to pick anything specific up for dinner?" Koushiro asks and you frown.

"Comfort food," you say after a moment. "You sound tired, something happen?"

"The code I was working on is being difficult." He says after a moment. Is there any reason you want to get everyone together?"

You pause in your walking, leaning against the light pole in thought. "I think it's been too long. I want to remind the others that we can be here for each other."

"How'd your appointment go?" Koushiro asks.

"It went pretty well. It made me realize that I do miss the others. And it's been too long." You say after a moment.

"I agree," Koushiro says. "We can talk about it after dinner. Will you be home soon or...?"

"I'm going to meet up with someone at one. I'll probably be home after three. Do you want me to stop at the store for anything?"

"No, I'm already here. I'll get something for dinner and see you in a couple hours. Love you," Koushiro says and you offer your phone a half smile.

"Love you too," you say before hanging up and tucking the phone away in your pocket. You check the folder that you had brought along with you once more, wondering if maybe it was the right thing.

 

****

You walk into the small cafe, glancing around and finding Taichi. It felt strange to you as you order a drink at the bar before walking over to him. He has a drink in hand when you sit and you see the tension in his shoulders.

"Did I keep you waiting for long?" You ask, feeling a bit of guilt.

"No, I just came early." He says with a shake of his head.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me." You say and Taichi flashes you a smile. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure," he says with a nod.

"Takeru was my brother?" You ask. You had tried to call your dad and ask him. He had shut you down as soon as you mentioned the name, had made an excuse, and hung up on you before you could get any sort of explanation from him.

"Yeah, you two were really close." Taichi says, his fingers tapping aganst a folder. He opens it and you see the pictures that you had asked for last time you two had spoken. "This is him," he slides you a picture. You recognize yourself, about ten, with a younger boy standing next to you. It looks like you had been arguing about something when someone snapped the picture.

You reach a hand forward, touching the photo lightly. "My father refuses to talk to me." You say without thinking. "I think he never wanted me to know."

"Yeah, when it happened, he told us you died." Taichi says and you glance up at him, shocked to hear him say it. "Er, sorry, I know that you don't actually remember us..."

"I wish I did," you say, dropping your gaze back to the picture. "Where are we here?" You ask.

"I don't remember," Taichi says, glancing at the photo. He pulls out a couple more, telling you names of everyone in the group. "Koushiro, Mimi, Jyou, there's me and my sister Hikari, next to you and Takeru. Sora is on the right of you." You look over the group, wondering what was off about the pictures. You frown, pulling it closer.

"It feels like something is missing," you say after a moment, glancing up at Taichi. He frowns, looking down at the photo and shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Sora looks like she should be holding...something." You tap the picture, letting your gaze slide across it. "And Mimi looks like she should have her hand resting on something." You don't explain the others, focusing on the pictures in front of you.

"Strange," Taichi says, and you hand him back the picture. He looks at it, shaking his head. "I see what you mean, but this photo was as it is."

You close your eyes, reaching out slowly to the place you knew that the memories were hiding. "That's strange," you say finally, opening your eyes and looking at Taichi. You continue going over the photos, your heart twisting in pain with each one he shows you. You wish you could understand...

"Who drove when we left?" You ask, breaking into a story he had been saying.

"I'm sorry?" Taichi asks with a frown.

"When I got back to my father's home, there was nothing there of mine. Why did we leave that party?" You ask.

"You weren't feeling well, Takeru offered to take you home. We had all been drinking and..." Taichi hesitates. "I'm not sure what happened. You and he didn't want to leave, he got a call and rushed out. You followed. Had I realized what would have happened, I wouldn't have let you go. None of us would have let either of you go."

"And they saw fit to tell you I was dead." You say slowly. "And they... Damn it," you mutter, pressing a hand to your forehead. You wish you could remember.

Taichi hesitates, watching you "Yamato..."

"Sorry, I'm..." You hesitate, unsure how to answer. "I am angry that there is such a gap. I want to be able to remember." You glance at your phone when it buzzes, flipping it over and looking at the message. You ignore it, rubbing your temples.

"We can try and get your memory back, or I can tell you about everything that happened when we were younger. The adventures we had, everything." Taichi promises and you glance at him.

"You wouldn't hide anything from me? You'll answer the questions I want answers to?" You ask.

"Yes," Taichi says and you relax, drinking the last of your drink. "Let's meet up again, get a couple of drinks and talk about it."

"I would like that," you say and you spend the rest of the hour looking over photos and talking.

****

"Are you going to tell him?"

You glance up when Koushiro asks the question, frowning. "Tell who what?" You ask.

"Yamato, about everything." Koushiro says with a vague wave.

"I..." You hesitate. "Is he better off not knowing about the digital world?" You ask after a moment. "If we tell him, and then he finds out that th-they-"

"They sacrificed themselves so we could be safe." Koushiro says gently and you nod at him.

"That they died so we could be safe... If you lost your memories, and you didn't know about Tentomon, would you want to be told again?" You inquire.

"I would want to. There's a chance that he could still regain his memories. There's a chance that he will remember." Koushiro says.

"Everyone was a mess after the last time. You and Yamato were hurt the worst. He didn't talk to us for nearly a year and he had gone to live with his grandfather after a suicide attempt. If he doesn't remember, why should I bring that pain back to him?" You ask and Koushiro sets his bowl down, spoon clinking against the glass.

"If he remembers, and he wasn't told, would it do any better for him?" Koushiro asks.

You shift, tapping your fingers against the table. "What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should tell him the truth, the way you said you would." Koushiro says. He leans over, closing his hand around your wrist. "You were hurt just as much as he was. If there was even a chance for him to remember, it would only hurt you both worse to lie to him Taichi."

You watch Koushiro, taking a moment to think over the words. "I'll do it," you say finally. "But I won't tell him about our relationship, not yet. I don't want to scare him off."

"That makes sense and thank you Taichi," Koushiro says, letting go of your wrist. "How did your appointment go today?"

"It went well," you say. "I'm making progress on a lot of things. Koushiro...."

"Hmm?" He asks, keeping his eyes on you.

"What do you miss the most?" You ask.

Koushiro frowns, leaning back in his seat. "The companionship." He says finally. "I miss Tentomon because he was always there for me. I miss knowing that I could have someone to lean on. Before the reboot, he was willing to help, he was willing to sacrifice the chance to keep his memories in order to save everyone. Sure, the fighting took its toll, but I wouldn't want to forget it for better mental health if it meant not having him as a partner, as a friend."

"Yeah, Sora told me something along the same lines awhile ago. I wouldn't trade anything for Agumon, I just wish I had gotten help sooner." You say, leaning against the table, chin resting on your hand. "Hikari called earlier today."

"How did that go?" He asks.

"She's doing okay, been talking to Miyako regarding moving in together." You comment. "She's working on a book, wanted to know if you would talk to her, give her your opinion on the events that happened. Shed light on how the digimon weren't all bad."

"Ah," Koushiro says with a frown. "I think I'll do it. I'll text her later and see what kind of information she's looking for. Have you heard from the others?"

"No, but I want to get everyone together again. It's been three years. It's been a nightmare of a three years. But, maybe, we can start to repair the fraction." You murmur.

"Maybe," Koushiro agrees.

****

_"Takeru, it's not safe for you to drive!"_

_You had run after your brother, away from the other digidestined. It's snowing outside, and you're cold. You throw yourself into his car, wishing you had grabbed your jacket._

_"Tell me what's wrong," you say, reaching over as Takeru starts the car. He's gritting his teeth, hands pale as he holds onto the steering wheel. "Please Takeru,"_

_"I want to go home." He says, pulling the car out of the parking lot. You glance over your shoulder, knowing that both of you were far from sober. You shake your head, fumbling with the key but he was already driving._

_"Pull over and talk to me." You say, voice strained. He's swerving over the road and you had sat back in the seat. Your hands are trembling. You hadn't heard what had happened, what had started everything, only that a fight had ensued and Takeru had run out._

_"No," he says and you cross your arms over your chst. It's late at night, snowing, and you only hope that he could make it the five or so miles to his appartment without getting hurt._

_"You ran that light," you say, glancing over your shoulder._

_"Why did you come?" Takeru demands and you glance at him. "I want to be alone."_

_"I-" There's a squealing of brakes and a sickening crunch. You feel cold, the car being plowed into._

You wake up in a cold sweat, running a hand through your hair and shuddering. You had that dream before, after the accident, but it had never seemed so clear. You recalled getting into the car, arguing with someone, then...waking up in the hospital. Now, you had a face to the voice.

You glance at your clock, noting how early in the morning it was, before getting out of bed and taking a shower, wanting to wash away the sweat and memories that had collected in the early hours. You sit down at your desk, staring into the cup of water you had poured for yourself. You have work later, but now... You turn your attention to the laptop and begin searching any information you can find on Taichi Yagami.

****

_"I'm sorry, run that by me again?" You lean up, grabbing something off the top shelf._

_"What are we going to do now?" Yamato asks and you glance over at him, watching the emotions play on his face._

_"It's...hard to say," you say after a moment, keeping your face turned away from him. "They want to do reports on us, interviews... They want to call us saviors and offer us money for what we did."_

_"It's not worth it." Yamato snaps and you nod in agreement. "What do we do now?"_

_"We mourn our lost partners, knowing that they're keeping us safe. We keep in touch with each other, make sure everyone is okay." Koushiro says, looking up from the table and shutting his laptop. "What more can we do Yamato?"_

_"I don't like it." Yamato says and you knock the glass you had been moving, wincing as it shatters against the ground. "They want to treat us like...heroes but they can't accept those that helped us?"_

_You had froze when you heard the glass shatter, your eyes distant. You're back in a fight, watching the digimon. Their moves destroying several buildings. You get off the step stool, resting your hands against the counter top. "What can we do?" You ask, voice quiet. "What more can we fucking do Yamato, then hope that we can get over this?"_

_You turn, glaring at Yamato. It had been years since you had really fought each other. Koushiro balanced out the fighting, made both of you realize what you actually meant. You see Yamato go stiff, his eyes narrowing._

_"I'm going out of country for awhile." He says after a moment and you repress the urge to scream at him. Koushiro is moving, bending down to clean up the broken glass._

_"You're just going to run then?" You demand._

_"I'm not running Taichi." Yamato snaps back. "I'm trying to figure out what it is that I have to do. You want to bottle everything up? That's fine. I'm taking a short vacation to see my grandfather, to sort shit out."_

_"You're leaving," you say._

_"Are you going to have your head so far up your ass that you think I'm just ditching you?" Yamato demands and you watch Koushiro touch his shoulder, shaking his head._

_"It's what you always do when things get hard." You reply, venom in your voice as you turn. "But hey, don't let me stop you. I hope you have a good time in whatever country you're going to hide in. Leave us to deal with the mess that gets left behind."_

_"Taichi!" Koushiro snaps and you glance at him, feeling a bit of guilt creep into you. You clamp down on it, crossing your arms over your chest. "What the hell has gotten into you?" He demands._

_"I'm going for a walk." You say, turning and walking out of the small kitchen. You ignore Yamato's biting comments, Koushiro's questions of concerns. You shut the door behind you, tugging your shoes on and go out of the building. It's near evening, and you can see the damamges being repaired. Each step drives further pain into your heart, and you wish you could go hide in the digital world, speak with Agumon once more._

_But it was closed off, there was no returning to your partners._

_****_

_"Should we go after him?" Yamato asks and you glance at him, shaking your head._

_"I don't know," you say finally. "How long will you be gone?"_

_"Less than a month. My grandfather's health is decaying, so mother asked if I could go take care of him for a couple weeks, maybe a couple months. I'm not sure how long it will be Koushiro. And... Takeru is in the psych ward again. She seems to think I'm stable enough to help our grandfather." Yamato lets out a snort and you glance at him, startled._

_"What happened?" You ask._

_"Our partners were demonized by a country and world they helped safe. They think we did everything on our own. He's suicidal, and I don't blame him." Yamato says._

_"Are you okay?" You ask, looking at Yamato._

_"No, I just...need some time to myself." Yamato glances away and you reach over, touching his shoulder. "I promise I'll keep in touch."_

_You reach out, taking Yamato's hand in yours and pulling him into a hug. He lets you, and you let him go after a few seconds. "Please just message us to let us know that you're okay while you're gone?" You ask._

_"Of course," Yamato says, having returned the hug. He kisses your hair and you take a step back, eyeing your partner up and down. "Will you tell Taichi he's being an idiot?"_

_"I can try," you sigh. "I don't like it when you two fight like this."_

_"It hasn't happened in a while." Yamato comments and you shake your head._

_"That's not what worries me. If you keep fighting like this, I'm worried that it'll break us apart." You comment. "Maybe time apart will do you better. But please, don't get too far away from us. And tell me how Takeru is doing, when you hear back from your parents?"_

_"Of course," Yamato says and he hugs you once more. "My plane leaves tomorrow morning, I'll be heading out tonight. I'll text Taichi before I leave, apologize for the fight."_

_"Just be safe," you murmur, watching him walk away._

_***_

_You stare up at the ceiling, listening to the fan to the left of you. It's warmer than you would have liked in the countryside. Your grandfather was doing better now than when you first got here but..._

_"Yamato?"_

_You sit up when you hear the voice, turning your head to the doorway. "Gabumon?" You question, scrambling to get out of the bed and running over to the doorway. "Gabumon!" You say, keeping your voice low so you don't wake up your grandfather._

_"Yamato, it's okay." The digimon says, smiling up at you. "You're going to be okay."_

_You reach out, your hand seemingly going numb when you touch the figure. "I miss you Gabumon," you whisper._

_"We miss you, but we're watching you from the stars." Gabumon says and you fall to your knees, wrapping your arms around the fading light of Gabumon._

_"Don't leave me," you sob and you can imagine his hand on your shoulder. When you open your eyes, you're still on your knees in the doorway, arms wrapped around yourself. There are tears on your cheeks. You pick up your phone when you hear it ringing, feeling numb._

_"Hello?" You ask, voice hollow._

_"Hey Yamato," Takeru mumbles and you feel your heart skip a beat._

_"Hey, how are you doing?" You ask, rubbing the tears away from your eyes._

_"I'm better, I guess. I'm staying with Ken for a while."_

_There's a silence between the two of you and you consider saying something. But the silence is comforting. It's Takeru who breaks it._

_"Are you happy, with Taichi and Koushiro?"_

_"Am I...happy?" You ask, frowning._

_"Yeah," Takeru says and you can picture him shrugging._

_"It's not a bandaid to fix everything that happened in the past Takeru. I'm not doing well. Grandfather is doing better though." You say, desparate to get the topic off of you. You glance towards the doorway, wondering why Gabumon had appeared. Wondering why Takeru had called. You glance away, looking at the cuts on your arm. They were new, still scabbing over._

_"Yamato?"_

_You blink, focusing back in on the conversation. "Huh? Sorry, it's late at night here. Takeru, are you okay?"_

_"I won't try killing myself again." He offers, voice flat. "I... I am sorry Yamato, it's just-"_

_"It's hard to know about everything that happened?" You ask, surprised to hear your voice sounding just as flat. "Takeru, if you ever need someone to talk to, you know that I am here for you."_

_"I know Yamato, it's just hard sometimes." Takeru sighs. "I saw Patamon last night."_

_"You too?" You ask. "I saw Gabumon shortly before you called."_

_"They're still watching out for us. Even if we can't see them. We have the memories, and we have them inside our hearts." Takeru murmured._

_"Are you getting help?" You ask after a moment, wiping at your eyes again._

_"Yes, I am getting help." Takeru promises. "I won't do anything stupid again, if that's what you mean. I just... I want to know Yamato, do you miss them?"_

_"Yeah," you sigh. "I miss them." You glance down at your arms, getting up and walking to the bathroom. "There's nothing in the world that I would trade to have everything gone. But I miss them more than anything."_

_"Miyako is searching for a way to return to the digital world." Takeru mumbles and you glance at your phone in shock. "Even though our partners are...gone, it would still be nice to be able to see the digital world again. To have proof that it truly existed, you know?"_

_"Yeah, I get it." You say, quiet. You wonder if it was even a good idea to consider. "Will you let me know how her progress goes?"_

_"Yeah, sure." Takeru says._

_"I'm going back to bed. Please be safe Takeru," you say._

_"Okay, and stay safe yourself." Takeru says and the both of you hang up. You feel a pain in your heart as you stare at yourself in the bathroom mirror. You hate the haunted look and you wish that Gabumon had been real when he did visit._

_***_

__"I'm sorry, may you repeat that?" You ask, looking in shock at the number on your phone._ _

__

__"Yamato is in the hospital," the old man says. "He didn't say why he did what he did, but he did try to kill himself. Do you know anything about this?"_ _

__"No," you say slowly, shaking your head even though you knew he couldn't see it. "Will he be returning home soon?"_ _

__"Yes, once he has the all clear, he will be returning to Japan. I apologize for passing along the information like this Koushiro. He says you were the best to call. Would you like to talk to him?" The man asks._ _

__"Yes please," you say and you hear the muffled sounds as the phone gets passed over._ _

__"I'm sorry Koushiro," Yamato says and you hold back what you wanted to say. He sounds miserable and your heart aches._ _

__"Is this because of what we saw several weeks ago?" You ask. You had seen Tentomon while you were working early at the office. You thought it had been a figment of your imagination, but you had talked to him, hugged him. Said goodbye, and talking to some of the others, you had learned that they had also seen their partners._ _

__"Yeah, it was a stupid choice, when I came back to actaully think about it." Yamato murmurs. "Is Taichi pissed?"_ _

__"He blames himself," you say. "He thinks that one of us should have gone with you. Or that maybe if you hadn't gone... You won't be doing this again, will you?"_ _

__"No," Yamato says after a moment. "Like Takeru, I'm getting help. I just...I don't know what got into my head when I decided to do what I did. I thought, maybe, it would bring me to them. I see it was a stupid mistake. I'm sorry."_ _

__"You're suicidal and depressed, that's a chemical imbalance. We can get help for you for that." You say. "Just, please don't leave us."_ _

__"I know," Yamato says and you want to wrap him in your arms. He sounds so quiet, so unsure of himself. "I'll be home within a couple of weeks. How is Taichi?"_ _

__"He's looking at getting help himself. He's upset, blames himself. I've been trying to tell him that it is not his fault. Yamato, just...be safe, okay?"_ _

__"I can do that," Yamato says and you talk to him for a couple minutes later, discussing the ins and outs of what you were doing at work right that moment. He had heard you typing and got curious. It felt good to talk to him. And when you were off the phone with him, you called Taichi._ _

__"Is Yamato doing okay?"_ _

__It warms your heart that was the first thing he asked when you call._ _

__"He's doing better. Said he would start looking for help. He'll be home within the next two weeks. Are you okay?" You ask. You had gotten in the habit of asking if Taichi was okay first, wanting to make sure that he was still with you enough to be okay._ _

__"I guess," he says after a moment. "I'm not doing great, but I'm not angry."_ _

__"Everything will be okay Taichi, we just have to get through the storm first." You say, repeating the words that Yamato had told to you when you had told him you needed to go. It had warmed you to know that he was going to try._ _

__"It sucks," Taichi says and you nod in agreement, saving the work you had done and leaning back in your chair._ _

__"He'll be home soon, and we'll all get the help that we need." You say and you two talk, in a way that you haven't had in a while. It was a meandering conversation, but it made you feel better all the more. Soon, Taichi says he has to go and you let him, returning to your own work._ _

_****_

"Hello?"

You glance at the time on your clock, wondering why someone was calling you at one in the morning.

"What's the digital world?" Yamato asks and you feel your blood run cold. "I've been looking up information, and there's....articles and...other things about eight teenagers who save the world from the digital world. What was missing from those pictures that you showed me?"

"Digimon," you say without hesitation. "When we were younger, seven of us met at camp. We ended up being summoned to the digital world. We were chosen to fight in a war none of us understood. And we had partners, they were called digital monsters, digimon for short."

"We fought," Yamato says quietly, and you nod.

"Yeah, we fought, our friends helped us stay alive. The seven of us bonded. We ended up beating th big bad, Vamdemon, when we met the eighth chosen child, my sister Hikari. We thought, back then, that it would be done and over with. But, something happened. We ended up being called back, time and again."

"Until it spilled over into Japan." Yamato guesses.

"Yeah, and at the end of it, our digimon sacrificed themselves to create a barriar." You head into the kitchen, unwilling to wake Koushiro. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you in the beginning."

"It was something Takeru said, before we crashed." Yamato says.

"Did you remember something?" You ask.

"Yeah, the moments leading up to the crash. I just... I needed something to confirm that I wasn't going crazy. I looked up everything that had to do with the digital world. I didn't want it to be true, but I see that it is now. I... Am I going crazy?" Yamato says and you close your eyes.

****

"Am I going crazy?" You phrase the question to Taichi, knowing that he probably wouldn't have an answer for you.

"I think us meeting is helping you get memories back." Taichi says and you rub your head. It had two years since you gave up on the idea that you would unlock the memories. Two years of asking your father questions and him giving you answers that didn't make sense.

"My father lied to me then," you say, voice quiet. You can't exactly pinpoint what gave you that idea, but you know it deep down. He had lied to you. "There's scars on my wrists, do you know what those are from?"

You glance down at your wrists as you talk, wondering why you thought that Taichi would know. The line goes silent and you shift in your seat. "I can guess it's from...a suicide attempt." You say after a moment.

"Yeah, when the digimon disappeared, the last time." Taichi says and his voice is a hoarse whisper. "Your father really didn't tell you....anything? He kept everything from you?"

"Yeah," you say. "Look, I'm sorry for calling you so early in the morning."

"No, I'm okay to answer your questions. I don't think you're going crazy. I think you're starting to remember and it's going to hurt, more than likely. And I wish I could take the pain for you, but that's not possible... I can only offer a shoulder to lean on if you need it." Taichi says softly.

"Thank you," you say, laying back down on the bed. "What was my partner's name, the digimon?"

"Gabumon," Taichi says. "He was..."

"A small, yellow thing, with a horn, and...white fur?" You question. It had been the last thing you recall seeing before waking up just moments ago. You had wanted to know if it was real or not.

"Yeah, his pelt was white with blue stripes. He could take it off, if he really wanted to." Taichi agrees.

"Thank you," you say, glancing up at Taichi. He nods back at you, worry in his eyes, but you don't comment on it. It would be harder to explain that you didn't actually remember. You were getting flickers while you slept, not that you would tell your father. He thought you were better off knowing.

That in and of itself made you angry.


	7. Digimon as Humans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Digimon are meant to be a tale. But what if they lived amongst humans anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This, I wrote going towards NY and was influenced some by the dating sim, Cinderella Phenomenon. Loosely based. I took the setting of the castle. Digimon were to be scary creatures and hiding among humans, searching for their human counterparts that would return them to their digital forms.

"There's a myth in the kingdom. Long ago, thousands of years before we existed, twelve mythic heroes existed. They were called into another world, a world wehre digital monsters roamed. These digital monsters, dubbed digimon for short, were huge, and small. The mythic heroes partnered with digimon and fought against the dark forces that rose to consume the digital and the human rea-"

"But we both know that the digimon and us live together!" The young girl said, looking up at the boy who was reading. He opened his mouth, shaking his head.

"The digimon are a fairy tale," he said, shutting the book. "The king has-"

"My brother didn't think so," the brown haired girl said, jutting out her chin and glaring at the other boy. "The digimon exist."

"I'm sorry princess," the boy said, face turning into a mask. "It's nearly impossible for such creatures to exist in this world."

"Nearly impossible means there's still a possibility," the princess stood from her spot, leveling a stare at the boy. "I want to be left alone now."

"I..." He sighed, looking down at the book in his hand. He set it on the table next to her, bowing. "Enjoy your day princess," he said. He walked out of the room, heart thudding as he considered the options before him. The boy, he was no older than nine, paused outside a door, turning his head and offering the man that appeared a bow.

"On your way to training?" The man asked.

"Of course sir," the boy replied, heading in the direction that the man had indicated.

****

The man took a step back, a grimace on his face as he lowered his sword, watching the other knight with a calculating look in his eyes.

"That's enough you two," someone called, striding forward. The man hesitated, his gaze darting back to his oponate before he took a step back, sheathing his sword.

"Takeru, there's someone looking for you down at the gates." The man aid, turning his attention to the man.

"Thank you sir," Takeru said with a bow, confusion flirting across his features before he shoved it away, heading to the castle gates. He paused when he saw a oranged haired boy, stepping to the other side and frowning. The boy smiled, waving at him.

"Are you Takeru?" He said, stepping closer to the gate.

"Yes, who are you?" Takeru asked with a raised eyebrow.

The boy laughed, moving closer to Takeru. "I'm your partner, Takeru."

He took a step back, disappearing before Takeru could gather any more information.


	8. Miyako/Hikari Angst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parting is such sweet sorrow.
> 
> Characters: Hikari Yagami, Miyako Inoue  
> Pairings: Hikari/Miyako  
> TW: Death of Characters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had TWO different versions of this story. So, have this one.

The woman sat at the coffee shop, hands tightening around the cup of tea as she felt the seconds pass. The clock in her mind ticked each second, each minute dragging. the tinkling of a bell opening caused her to look up, a look of relief passing through her as the brown haired girl she was searching came in.

She watched her walk to the counter and place an order before she cast a quick gaze about the room. She brightened when she saw who she was looking for, smiling at the woman so large before hurrying over and laughing.

"I'm sorry I'm late Miyako,"

The words felt like needles along Miyako's skin, her breath almost hitching as Hikari took her seat, her hair tumbling down her back. Since their younger years, she had decided to grow it out and Miyako wouldn't be any more pleased to see how well she was looking.

"It's fine! I was starting to worry there for a moment." Miyako laughed, knowing that there was nothing to worry about when it came to Hikari. She would keep her promise of a date, even if it meant canceling other plans to maintain the ones she made first. Miyako brushed hair out of her face, watching as Hikari got up, collecting her drink when her name was called.

"Why did you call me here?" Hikari asked, the question so simple. The pair were an odd set, each without a digimon in a place full of them.

"It's a good place to chat," Miyako offers a shrug and a smile, tipping her cup towards Hikari. They were in their own world, the two of them.

"Is it supposed to be a friendly chat?" Hikari raised an eyebrow, Miyako letting out a giggle -much to her own embarresment.

"Well, I suppose as friendly as we can be." Miyako winked at her, Hikari sitting up and letting out a soft whistle. She brushed delicate fingers through her hair, pinning it behind her ear. Miyako tipped forward, her hands still securely around her drink.

Hikari laughed, her hand covering her mouth as she did so. Miyako moved a hand, catching Hikari's scarred fingers in her own. She held them in the air for a moment, eyes distant before she released them, smiling.

"Ken asked me out yesterday,"

Hikari raised an eyebrow, resting her hand on the table and watching Miyako. "What did you tell him?"

Miyako cocked a smile. "I told him that I would have to think about it. I had dreams, when I was younger, that I would get the genius boy Ichijouji Ken to fall for me. Never thought it would happen."

"Oh?" Hikari leaned back, her smile never wavering as Miyako nodded, reaching up and tucking a stray strand of purple hair behind her ear.

"I...I don't know if I want to date him." Miyako admitted, her gaze drifting to the side. She quickly looked into her drink, the coffee had gone cold by now. "Hikari-"

"His funeral is in two days,"

Miyako swallowed, looking up and meeting Hikari's gaze. She saw the grief that was hiding in the woman's eyes, the eighteen year old shouldering much more than most their age. She nodded, watching as Hikari fidgetted. "I'll be there, if you'd like me to."

"I'd like that." Hikari murmured, reaching up and touching the pendent that she had received from him just days before his death. "It's strange, without..."

Miyako nodded, her gaze back on her coffee. She lifted it, taking a small sip and grimacing at the cold beverage. "How's...?"

"Not well, he's devolved, though he hasn't disappeared yet." Hikari hesitated, resting her weary gaze on Miyako. "Why does it feel like everyone I care for ends up dying?"

Miyako frowned, setting her cup aside and reaching forward, taking Hikari's hands in her own and gripping them tightly. "No dear, don't think that." She whispered, letting out a low breath. "You have done nothing wrong. You caring for someone doesn't mean they end up dying. That's not something anyone can prove."

Hikari gave a dry laugh, meeting Miyako's gaze. "Tailmon, Taichi, Daisuke..." She swallowed, staring over Miyako's shoulder. "I don't think I can do it anymore."

"Hikari?" Miyako let the worry slip through the word, feeling her breath snatched from her chest as Hikari looked at her, through her, deep into her soul. Miyako shuddered, closing her eyes against the gaze.

"After the funeral, I'm going to...go be by myself for a while. I'm sorry Miyako." Hikari lifted Miyako's hand to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her fingers. "I can't be here, not with these thoughts crowding in my mind. I have to find myself, before I lose myself further."

"I don't want to lose you." Miyako whispered, her hand clenching Hikari's tighter. "You're my..." She hesitated, watching as Hikari stiffened. "I love you."

Hikari let out a low sigh, tightening her grip on Miyako's hands. "I won't ask you to wait for me. Please Miyako, I..." She let go of the girl's hands, placing her own in her lap. "I've lost my partner, a friend, a brother..." She swallowed.

"We..." Miyako shook her head, pursing her lips as she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "We lost loved ones too."

"I know,"

Hikari glanced away, staring out of the window. The silence between them grew, Hikari sighing as she turned her attention back to Miyako.

"We all lost someone. I would not normally do this, but I need my time to consider this. I need... I need time to live for myself, I suppose. Where no one knows me. Go out with Ken, you'll have a grand time!" She smiled, Miyako feeling her heart break as she felt the sadness that Hikari was unwilling to share with her.

"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call." Miyako rubbed at her eyes under her glasses, feeling the sharp sting in her chest. "Do you understand?"

"Of course!" Hikari sounded happier, her eyes lighting up as Miyako returned her smile, broken as it was. The pair finished their drinks in silence, parting ways at the door. Miyako pulled out her phone, selecting Ken's number and calling it, agreeing to the date while Hikari headed to the airport, a small bag being all she had packed.


	9. Fuck This Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was at the edge, but they caught him last second

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Suicide  
> Characters: Takeru & Family
> 
> This was more vent, but I still might pry and prod it into something more one of these days.

The teenager looked down at the hospital bed, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt as he listened to the doctor speak to his mother. The words went over his head as he picked at the bandages around his wrist, his thoughts blank.

First time being out since he had been admitted, over a week ago.

"Takeru?"

He glanced up when he heard his name, watching the worry in his mother's eyes. He turned as she reached out to him, pulling away from her and closing himself off.

"Let's go home, okay?"

He followed her out of the hospital, feeling his movements become mechanic. They stopped twice, Takeru not getting out of the car either time. When they reached the house, his mother sighed, fiddling with her keys before she turned to him.

"If you need to talk to me-"

"Don't."

He got out of the car, ignoring the attempts of her calling as he headed up to the apartment. He put his hand on the knob, finding it unlocked and pushing it open.

A flash of memories tumbled out, Takeru staring at the empty apartment. He stepped in, closing the door and heading towards his room before turning and heading to the phone instead.

He dialed the number, picking it up and holding it to his ear.

"Motomiya residence."

Jun's voice filtered through, Takeru dropping his shoulders. "Is Daisuke home?" He turned, leaning with his back against the counter as he watched the door. "It's Take-"

"DAISUKE!"

He held the phone away from his ear as he heard Jun's voice pick up in pitch. He counted the seconds before there was a scuffle on the other side, Daisuke's voice coming on.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

Takeru froze as he heard the voice, nearly choking out the response.

"Oh my god, Takeru, what the hell happened? Dude, I'm coming over now-"

"Mom's really pissed." Takeru cut him off, shaking his head even if Daisuke couldn't see him. "I left her in the car, she forgot to the lock the door. I'm not supposed to be left alone though... doctor's orders, evne if they couldn't keep me in the hospital-"

"Hospital?"

"Uhm, yeah..." Takeru hesitated. "Look, I'll call you when I get the chance, okay?"

"Takeru-"

He hung the phone up as the doorknob turned, sidestepping into the kitchen and pulling the fridge open.

"Takeru, we really should talk-" she began.

"I want to go to dad's." Takeru looked back at his mom, speaking the first full sentence to her in more than a week. She watched as she stopped, dropping her hand to her side in defeat.

"I'll call him..." she walked to the phone, picking it up and dialing the number as Takeru pulled out left overs, peering through the plastic before shrugging and shutting the fridge. He stepped towards the table, taking a seat and watching his mother. She turned her back on him, her fingers tapping against the counter.

"Hello Yamato, will you put your father on the phone please?"

There was a pause, Takeru studying the tension in his mother's posture.

"Hello Hoiroki."

There was a chill to her voice, Takeru starting to eat as he kept an ear on the conversation.

"Well enough, I suppose."

Pause.

"No, he was released."

Pause.

"Actually, yes. He wants to know if he could come stay with you for... for some time, I suppose."

Long pause.

"I don't think-" she began, but was cut off.

Another, longer pause.

"He has a therapist appointment on Monday, will you be able to-"

Her shoulders slumped.

"See you soon." She hung up the phone, turning to Takeru. "You can stay a week, and you have to go to the therapist appointments. You're not allowed to be alone-"

Takeru scarfed down the rest of the food, moving to place the dish in the sink before he retreated to his room, keeping the door open as he had agreed upon.

it was three hours before there was a knock on the door, Takeru shouldering his bag and stepping towards it. He saw his mother toying with his cell phone, placing it back in the drawer as he opened the door. He stepped past Yamato, the older blond resting a hand on his shoulder and frowning.

"Later."

He nodded, himseof and their father stepping in to make sure they had everything needed. Takeru had checked and double checked, then checked a third time at his mother's assistance that he had the medication, list of appointments in case he did stay longer, and enough clothes already. He felt his body tense, relaxing when the pair retreated outside and Hoiroki glanced between his sons.

"You two okay picking something up to eat on the way home?" he asked. They nodded in agreement, Takeru hurrying to the car and feeling a sense of freedom light upon him. It was quiet as they got in, their father beginning to drive. And it was quiet for another fifteen minutes.

"So, Takeru..."

He shifted as he heard his father speak, his gaze drifting to the passing buildings. "Mom and I got into an argument, it didn't end pleasantly. I'll do whatever you wnat me to do, but... can I make a phone call in private without you freaking out about it?"

Hoiroki frowned but nodded as his gaze shifted to his son. "Of course," he promised.


	10. Digimon AU Ft. OCs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a project that had notes, evolution lines, and some time spent dreaming about it at night.
> 
> But never went anywhere.
> 
> Enjoy

Ryn: Moonmon- Lunamon - Lekismon - Crescemon - Dianamon - GraceNovamon (W/ Apollomon)  
Green eyes, long silver hair  
15  
Quiet  
Knows how to fight after Taichi started teaching him some tricks upon finding out that he was getting into fights at school and along the way home. Often will not talk about his problems  
Found lost at the age of five, clutching a stuffed "bunny" that they refused to be parted from. After much deliberation, Ryn was placed under the social worker's care of Koushiro Izumi, who recognized the bunny for being a digimon. After much talking, he convinced his partner Taichi that they should offically adopt the child.  
Koushiro: Social Worker & computer experite regarding the digital world  
Taichi: Famous soccer player & known mediator between world governments and digimon

Lotus: Sunmon - Coronamon - Firamon Flaremon Apollomon - GraceNovamon(W/ Dianamon)  
Green eyes, short shaggy silver hair  
15  
Silent  
Best hand to hand combat in Project Shadow. Often sent to get information on people that are in the digital world. Smaller than average for his size. Finds if he speaks up too much, it gets him in trouble.  
Unbeknownst to them, Ryn has a twin named Lotus who is trapped in the digital world, being raised by those that wish to use Digimon for nefrious purposes. Raised in the digital world, Lotus is often used to go out and attack other digimon and their partners, finding their purpose in life to be used only for others doings. Part of an orginaztion know as Project Shadow.  
Project Shadow: A select few humans that work in the digital world to dominate the human world.  
Ran by Ken Ichijouji

Kato: Dodomon - Durimon - Duromon - Duragamon - Duruguremon - Alphamon  
Red eyes, black hair  
15  
Obnoxious  
When he was younger, Kato found the easiest way to fit in. Hiding the fact that he's abused by his parents, Kato will torment and pick on other kids in his grade just to keep from being hurt himself.  
One of Ryn's schoolmates, often standing to the side whenn his friends pick on Ryn(Despite having a crush on him) for various things, such as having two fathers. He often keeps quiet about his home life and the two end up unlikely companions when they fall into the digital world, something that Kato had only heard of in passing. Middle child of three.

***

Ryn narrowed their eyes, taking a step back as the fist swung their way. They blocked it, spinning under another punch wincing as a third person pushed them back towards the fighters.

"You shouldn't be doing that," a fourth boy commented, Ryn glancing his way only briefly to see it was Kato, a book in front of his face. Ryn runted as a fist connected with his stomach, dropping his hands quickly enough to catch the hand and twist, bringing the other kid down.

"You little-" The first boy swung a wild punch, Ryn taking a step back only to be met with the third guy's fist ramming into his kidneys. Ryn flinched as he lost his balance, allowing himself to be pushed into the ground. He tensed when he felt the boot ram into his ribs, finding himself unable to breathe as there was another kick.

"You need to stop now," Kato said, standing up from his spot. "There's a teacher coming."

Ryn took a breath when the three boys sprang away, one nursing his injured hand against his stomach. He counted to five in his head, turning when he heard footsteps approach before a hand was shoved in his face.

"Why do you let them do that?" Kato asked quietly, Ryn accepting the hand up.

"Why do you care?" He spat, turning to glower at him. He glanced at the sight of the teacher coming towards them, brushing off the dirt on his uniform and deciding he could fix his hair later.

"Are you two fighting again?" THe teacher asked with a frown, stepping in front of them.

"No sir," Ryn said with a smile.

"Of course not," Kato responded, voice falling a bit flat. The man glanced at both of them before nodding, walking away from the area. Ryn took a step back from Kato, shaking his head.

"There's a lot of yourself that you hide," Ryn commented after a moment. "If those boys were truly your friends, they wouldn't care abot your home life."

"This has nothing to do about that." Kato said quickly, taking a step back and glancing over his shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Ryn asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms, feeling his ribs protest the motion.


	11. Neighbor AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're neighbors, what's there left to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave up looking for spelling errors in these, since they vary so much by length.
> 
> I'm pretty sure this was meant to be a DaiKenKeru fic, similar to Roommates, but not quite. Cause no one was meant to die.

Takeru grimaced as he set his bag down, looking around the small apartment. The last words he had with his mother-something he probably wouldn't forget-resounded in his head, the thought of losing her over something as simple as being gay making his stomach turn. When he was younger, he had thought that it would be okay, if he just pretended, but over the years...

"This is so stupid," he muttered to himself, setting his bag of belongings down. He didn't have much, having lived with his best friend of many years since he had gotten kicked out. It had taken him about six months to save up from his job to get the apartment, even if it was small, but he felt good that it was at least his.

"What's stupid?"

He turned when he heard Hikari's voice, shaking his head slowly as she walked in with the other box of his things, setting it in a corner.

"I don't have furniture." He said after a moment, trying to come up with any excuse for his outburst.

"No, other than the small folding up table that you used in the past as a desk." Hikari agreed. "But it'll come."

"Yeah, I know." He shook his head. "Thanks for helping me move."

"All two boxes?" Hikari asked, resting her foot on the box she had set down. "Correction, one box and one bag?"

"But you didn't have to come with me." He chimed in, reaching over and touching her shoulder. His smile fell, the young man looking down at the floor. "I found Yamato's number, the other day."

"Oh?" Hikari asked curiously. "Are you finally going to get back in touch with your mysterious older brother?"

"I...don't know." Takeru admitted, sitting down on the floor, his back against a wall. Hikari took a seat next to him, the pair staring into the studio apartment quietly. "I...I would like to but-"

"I think you should." Hikari said after a moment.

"He's part of a band, actually." Takeru said. "I was...they're playing at a bar next Saturday."

"Thinking of going?" She asked with a smile.

"I might, the name of the band is Knife of Day," Takeru said with a small roll of his eyes. "Aparently they have a wolf head as their band logo,"

"That...sounds pretty familiar actually." Hikari said, considering the name. "I think Taichi may know something about them. Have you heard any of their songs?"

"I looked up a few last night and bought them. They don't sound half bad." Takeru admitted. "Are you busy next Saturday?"

"Do you want me to go with?" She asked with a small smile.

"I mean, if you don't mind." Takeru said with a quick shake of his head. "It's not a date, I promise you that."

"I would hope not," Hikari teased, nudging his shoulder with her's. "I think it would be fun to go! Maybe we could get a group to go."

"Not Iori and Miyako," Takeru said with a small grimace.

"Of course Miyako and Iori." Hikari said with a wider grin. Takeru let out a laugh, shaking his head. "It would be fun." She insisted.

"Four young adults, going to a bar as a group. No one is going to think that's strange or anything." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Hey, at the very least, it means Miyako and I wouldn't get hit on if they thought you two were with us." Hikari smiled, nodding at Takeru. "Just, let me know, okay? I think it would be a good thing to go. You always talked about your brother when you were younger, what you remember anyway. I think it would be better for you to see if you can talk with him."

"What if...what if he doesn't remember me?" Takeru asked slowly. "We were so young when our parents separated..."

"Have you tried reconnecting with your father?" Hikari asked, though she knew the answer. The grimace was all she needed before she said her next statement. "I think you need to remember that family isn't all bad." She said softly.

"What if he hates me?" He asked, looking up at her. "What if he hates me the same way mom hates me or-"

"Then that's his loss." Hikari said firmly. "Anyone who wouldn't want to have you in their life is a piece of shit." She glanced down when she heard her phone buzz, shaking her head. "I...need to get to work, but will you be okay?" She asked.

"I'll be fine." He promised. "Have fun with work," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, work," she said iwth a roll of her eyes. "Everything I want it to be."

"It's only until you get through collage. Than you get the joy of becoming a teacher." Takeru said with a smile.

"I think teaching is a joy Takaishi." Hikari said, getting up and offering Takeru a hand. "If you need anything at all, you know where to find me."

"Thanks," he said, taking the hand and pulling himself up from the floor. "And, I would like to go Saturday night, if you aren't busy."

"I'll make us a group chat and we'll figure it all out." Hikari said, Takeru stepping into the hall with her. He headed down to the front of the building, pulling her into a hug and kissing her on the cheek.

"Enjoy work," he called.

"Enjoy not living on a piece of my floor." She called back, Takeru waiting until she got into her car. He headed back up the two flgihts of stairs, standing before his apartment and sighing. He brushed hair out of his face, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. He let his head thump against the door, a groan slowly escaping.

"I'm so screwed," he told the empty apartment, pulling himself off the door and setting up the small folding table Hikari had brought up. He unpacked his one bag of clothing, putting it where it would fit without an actual dresser, before unpacking his box of blankets and making the aproximation of a nest of blankets, settling down with his phone in one hand and his computer on his lap, the charger already plugged in.

He logged in, opening up the last draft of his novel that he had been working on, a binder tucked with various drawings of characters and notes next to him. He was halfway through rereading a chapter when he heard a knock. Takeru frowned at the knock, waiting for several seconds before it was followed by another knock and then a voice,

"The new neighbor is probably out already. And even then, we shouldn't be disturbing them if they are unpacking." The voice was clipped, though polite.

"He may also be busy, just one more minute." A voice that sounded impatient and brash, compared to the first, responded. "Besides, it's not like we shouldn't welcome him to the complex."

"Honestly...." The first voice said with a huffed sigh.

"You didn't have to come," the second said in a sing song voice. Takeru placed his laptop to the side, making sure that his work was saved before he stood up, walking over to the door and opening it.

"Can I help you?" He asked, glancing at the two dark haired men, watching the one with wild hair give him a wide grin.

"Hey, we're your neighbors. We wanted to welcome you to the complex. I'm Motomiya Daisuke and this is-" He began.

"Ichijouji Ken," the other supplied, his voice smooth.

"Anyway, we-well, honestly I-figured that since it's your first day here and all, I could bring you a little welcome package in the form of a meal." Daisuke said, holding out the plate to Takeru.

"Er, thank...you?" Takeru said, reaching out and taking the plate.

"I do hope that we aren't bothering you. I tried to convince Daisuke to wait at least a day, but he's...impatient, for the lack of a better word." Ken said with a small, restrained frown at Daisuke.

"Hey, I enjoy being nice!" Daisuke responded.

"And loud," Ken responded, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry if we bothered you."

"No, I wasn't doing anything. Thank you," Takeru said again. "I'm, uh... Takaishi Takeru," he said quickly, feeling the eyes on him.

"We'll let you get back to whatever you were doing..." Ken said, putting a hand on Daisuke's shoulder. "Have a lovely evening."

"If you need anything, let me know!" Daisuke called, Takeru blinking as Ken steered the other man down the hallway, shutting the door and rubbing his head. He set the plate of food down on the small bar that ran in front of the small kitchen of the studio apartment, pulling out a pair of clean chopsticks from his bag and looking at the food curiously. He did need to go to the store tomorrow...but it could wait until tomorrow.

He began to eat, feeling his eyes go wide at the taste of the mouth watering food before him, his mind scrambling to come up with a way to thank Daisuke at a later date, if he ever ran across the guy again, that was.

****

Takeru pulled the blanket off his face as he heard the knocking on his door, searching the floor for his phone. He glanced at the time, pushing himself up and frowning. It was nearly noon, usually he didn't sleep in because Hikari-

He glanced around his apartment, realizing that this was the second time in a week that he had forgotten he had moved. He pushed himself off the floor, looking down at his rumpled clothes-he had definitely fallen asleep while writing at some point, though his laptop was safely tucked away.

He moved to the door, opening and peering at the figure standing there in confusion. "Can...I help you?" He asked, tipping his head to the side. His brain was struggling to come up with the name for the man with wild hair in front him, a plate in his hands.

"Oh! Sorry, did I disturb you?" He asked, blinking at Takeru and taking in his apperance.

"Uh...no," he said with a quick shake of his head. "I was....about to get up anyway." He lied. He cringed when he heard his phone go off, mentally chiding himself for not leaving it on silent the night before.

"I..made some extra food and thought you might like it." Daisuke-right, his name was Daisuke-said with a grin. "Didn't mean to wake you up though."

"It's fine, I have your plate from last Saturday." Takeru said, taking a step in the apartment. "You can come in, if you would like."

"Thanks," he said with a smile, stepping into the apartment and letting his gaze swival around curiously. "Don't have much, do you?"

"Ah, no, I got kicked out of my mother's house when I was seventeen and been living on a friend's floor since." Takeru responded. "Didn't have much time to accumilate more stuff."

"I'm sorry," Daisuke said, suddenly awkward. "I...didn't know what you liked, so I hope you like this!" He added, handing him the plate. Takeru took it, offering him a smile.

"It's fine, I've come to terms with it. You're a pretty decent cook," he said, setting the plate of food down and turning to grab his plate. "I didn't get a chance to properly thank you last week."

"Hah, not a problem," he said with a grin. "I tend to make way too much food for Ken and I to eat at any given time anyway. What do you do for work?"

"I...do free lance writing," Takeru explained, shuffling around Daisuke and picking his laptop off the floor, setting it on the small fold out table. "Not very stable work, but it pays well."

"I...think I'm doing the thing I'm always told I do but never realize I do...sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?" Daisuke asked.

"Not, really." Takeru said with a shake of his head. He picked up his phone from the floor, setting it on the table as Daisuke held the plate that he had brought over last time, the man nodding.

"Well, I was wondering if you had plans for tonight." Daisuke said suddenly, Takeru glancing up with a raised eyebrow. "I know, I know, it's really strange. But, I think we could be great friends! You seem like a friendly guy so I thought..." He trailed off, Takeru letting out a chuckle.

"Sorry, I have plans tonight," he said. "But, if you want to hang out sometime this week, I wouldn't be against it." Takeru added, watching for a brief second the dejected look that crossed Daisuke's face.

"I would like that," he said with a smile. "Uh..."

"Do you want my number?" Takeru offered.

"That would be great!" Daisuke said with a grin, Takeru flipping open his binder that was sitting on the table. He flipped past the pictures and doodles, finding a clean sheet of paper and ripping off the corner, jotting down his number for Daisuke. He turned, nearly jumping when he saw Daisuke right behind him.

"Did you do these yourself?" He asked, flipping back to various pictures that Takeru had.

"A couple, but my friend did a lot of them too." Takeru explained, pausing at one perticular drawing. "Concept art for a series I'm working on."

"It looks amazingly well done." Daisuke said, grimacing when he glanced at Takeru. "Sorry, I'm prying. I actually need to be getting back, but I look forward to hanging out!" He took the piece of paper that Takeru had written his name and number down on, shoving it in his pocket and heading out of the apartment, stopping by the door. "It was lovely talking to you!" He called over his shoulder, vanishing as quickly as he had come.

"Don't forget your...plate." Takeru sighed, holding up the dish that Daisuke had set down. He took it over to the counter, setting it to the side and shaking his head, picking up his phone when it rang.

"Hey Hikari, what's up?" He asked, taking the tinfoil off the plate of food.

"I want to make sure that you still plan on going tonight," Hikari said, Takeru digging out a pair of chopsticks from the drawer.

"Yeah, I plan on going tonight," he said. "Want to meet up at the bar or my place?"

"Your place," Hikari said. "I'll be there around six. What time are they playing?"

"Around seven, from what the flier said. Is Miyako and Iori still planning on going?" Takeru asked around a bite of food, having only skimmed the messages in their group chat.

"Miyako is, Iori is not." Hikari said. "Did you just wake up?"

"Maybe," Takeru said, swallowing his bite of food. "I had my neighbor come by and drop me off food just a moment ago. He actually asked if I had plans for tonight."

"That would be the same neighbor that showed up when right after I left?" She asked.

"That's the one," Takeru said. "His cooking is pretty good."

"Well, Miyako is meeting us at the bar, so I'll see you later tonight?" Hikari asked.

"Sure," Takeru said, letting the conversation wander before he finally hung up after a good bye to Hikari, concentrating on the food before him. He ate about half of what was on the plate, pulling the tinfoil over the rest and setting in his fridge. He grimaced at the lack of food, deciding that he would make it a point to go to the store tomorrow morning.

He pulled out the chair he had obtained in the last week, opening his laptop and beginning to work on several pieces he had been asked to look over and edit.

He glanced up when he heard a knock on his door, getting up and letting Hikari in with a smile.

"So, how are you feeling?" She asked, glancing at him as she set her purse on the bar in front of the kitchen.

"Nervous, actually." Takeru said with a small shake of his head. "You know I don't..."

"Bars aren't your scene." She said with a nod. "Of course I know. You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

"Maybe," Takeru said with a shake of his head. "Maybe it's some other Ishida Yamato that plays in the band and I-"

"Stop," Hikari said with a shake of her head. "You're going to talk yourself out of even going to see him. You don't have to talk to him, you just..." She gestured, unsure of where she was going with the conversation.

"I know," he said with a half smile. "Thanks, you being there will be better for me in the end."

"At the very least, it'll keep you darting out of the place like-" Hikari cut herself off, shaking her head. "You'll stay through the whole thing. Now, what are you going to wear?"

Takeru looked down at the outfit he had fallen asleep in the night before, frowning and gesturing. "Is this...not good enough?" He asked.

"No, you need something..." She sighed, walking over to his closet and peering into it. She fetched him out a clean shirt and pair of pants, handing it over. "Something like this." She decided.

Takeru sighed, taking the clothes and shuffling into the bathroom. He changed quickly, glancing at himself in the mirror. He ran his fingers through his hair, grabbing the brush and running it through a couple times. He stepped out to meet Hikari, the girl looking him up and down in approval.

"Now you look more ready to go to a concert in a bar." She grinned.

"Thanks, I think..." Takeru said, glancing down at the black long sleeve shirt and jeans.

"Don't worry about it," Hikari said, taking his hand and smiling. "Let's go," she added, tugging him towards the door. She waited long enough for him to grab his wallet, her purse, and his keys, switching shows at the door and locking it behind him.

Hikari tugged on his hand as he glanced over his shoulder, shifting as if he felt someone watching before Hikari led him down to her car.

"Not waiting for me to attempt to escape, are you?" Takeru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope," she said with a giggle. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Right, fun is completely the word I am looking at here." Takeru responded, getting into Hikari's car as the girl laughed.

"if you didn't want to do this, why did you suggest it?" She asked, turning to look at him. Takeru was caught off guard by the question, slwoly shaking his head.

"I thought I could overrule my own fear before now?" Taker usaid as Hikari began to drive, the directions pulled up on her phone to the bar. "I mean..."

"I did ask my brother about the band." Hikari said after a moment.

"Oh, and what did he have to say?" Takeru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He really likes them. Once I got him started talking about it, he would not shut up. Lucky for me, he had to go get on a plane or he'd probably have talked to me for hours about it." Hikari said with a roll of her eyes. "I think he mentioned about knowing someone from the band? But, that would be news to me if he actually did. He never mentioned the whole thing to me before."

"Did he ask why?" Takeru inquired.

"He tried, but then he had to go." Hikari said with a shake of her head. She began to pull out of the driveaway, following the directions she had on her phone. "Miyako is looking forward to tonight," she added, her gaze darting to Takeru.

"She's not going to try and ask a bunch of guys out while we're there, is she?" Takeru asked.

"Come on, you know her better than that." Hikari responded.

"In the course of a month, your roommate had three different boyfriends." Takeru pointed out. "And that was just last month. When I left, she was on to someone new."

"So, she goes a little crazy at times." Hikari said with a shake of her head. "She mostly gets upset when the guys can't keep up with her, you know?"

"The travelling, or something else?" Takeru asked. He worked with Miyako's current job, editing the pieces that they sent. It was his most consistant stream of income and something that, while he didn't greatly enjoy doing, that kept the bills paid. Also one of the biggest reasons he could move out on his own, after saving up enough to get the small apartment.

"Sometimes it feels like I live by myself she's gone so much." Hikari said with a shake of her head, pulling up to the parking lot in front of the bar.

"I can always move back in," Takeru offered.

"No," Hikari responded, voice flat as she turned off the vehicle and got out. "You know you need this."

"I know," Takeru said, stepping out and shutting the door. The pair headed towards the door, Hikari nearly jumping when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I was worried you two weren't going to make it." Miyako said with a grin, stepping next to Hikari and pulling her into a side hug.

"I had to convince Takeru that it was the right thing for him to do." Hikari teased, nudging the blond with her elbow. "Besides, he was just having so much fun in his apartment."

"How are you settling in?" Miyako asked, the trio stepping into a bar. They found a small booth in the back that was unoccupied, Takeru and Miyako setting down while Hikari went to get them drinks. He offered her a small shrug, glancing down at his hands.

"I suppose I'm settling in just fine." He said after a moment. "I have a neighbor that likes to bring me food about once a week, at least...he has the last two Saturdays." takeru explained.

"Is he cute?" Miyako asked with a grin. "Even better, is his cooking any good?"

"His cooking is just fine," Takeru said, his gaze scanning the crowd. He could see the band set up in the corner, his stomach doing a little flip. It wasn't very busy, though he could factor in that it was early yet. He glanced up when Hikari set the round of drinks down, handing one to Takeru.

"Hey, can I get a ride home from you?" Miyako asked, taking the drink that Hikari handed her. She took her own drink, sitting next to the purple haired woman.

"Of course, I'm not drinking tonight." Hikari said with a tap of the glass in front of her. "Did you take the train here?"

"Sorta?" Miyako said with a frown, taking a swig of the drink and grinning. "We had a meeting at work, they want me to start doing some of their technical problems, seeing as everyone else is absolutely useless at it. So, they had me there late doing that. It was only about a five minute walk.... I took the train to work this morning." She added, Hikari raising an eyebrow.

Takeru stared down at the drink in front of him, placing both his hands around the glass.

"I don't think I can do it," he said quietly.

"Oh come on now," Hikari said with a frown. "It doesn't have to....I mean..." She pursed her lips, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say.

"This is about your brother, right?" Miyako asked, her gaze darting to the band set up. "I think, you should just do it."

"I know but....what if there was a reason he and dad never wanted me around?" Takeru asked softly, his gaze darting between Hikari and Miyako. "Surely they would have....I mean..." He hesitated, trying to figure out what words he wanted to say.

"We can't say for sure unless you talk to him." Hikari pointed out, reaching over and touching his wrist ever so faintly. Her hand lingered there for a moment efore she pulled back, shaking her head. "It would be better to know than to have wondered for the rest of your life, right?"

He glanced towards the band set up as the small crowd grew silent, the band taking up their places.

"Welcome to the show," the lead singer said, Takeru recalling faint memories of his brother. He tensed when eh band began playing, waiting for several minutes before breathing out a sigh of relief, reconginzing the voice, though it was deeper than it had been when they were young. He tipped his head back, taking a long sip of the drink.

"So?" Hikari asked softly as the normal chatter returned to the edges of the bar, Takeru nodding his head very slowly.

"From what I remember, it sounds like him." He explained. "Maybe...a bit deeper, but definitely him."

"Are you going to talk to him?" Miyako asked curiously.

"I don't know," Takeru said, shifting so his back was to the band, taking another sip of his drink. He consdiered the options before him, slowly shaking his head. "What if he-"

"Do you want another drink?" Hikari asked brightly, Takeru raising an eyebrow at her and realizing quickly what she was trying to do.

"Sure," he said.

"Miyako?" She asked.

"Please," the girl agreed, Hikari making her way to the bar. Takeru grimaced, knocking back the rest of his drink as he listened to the band play in the background. "Are you really that nervous?"

He glanced towards Miyako when she spoke, a frown crossing his features before he slowly shook his head. "My parents' devorce was a sticky mess. I didn't see my father or brother after mom moved away. She refused to talk about it for the longest time. It was a very unpleasant topic in our household."

"Ah," Miyako said, raising an eyebrow as Hikari set down the two drinks, taking her seat once more. The trio sat in silence while the band played their set, Takeru settling down for his forth drink when the band took a break. Hikari glanced up as she watched Yamato, frowning.

"He looks familiar," she said finally, watching him lean against the bar.

"He looks a lot like Takeru," Miyako said with a giggle into her drink, a grin spread across her face.

"He does not," Takeru hissed. "Look, that's probably not even the same guy. This was completely a waste of time, I was an idiot for-"

He fell silent as a drink was set in front of him, the server smiling. "Complements of the band," she explained.

Miyako let out a giggle, Takeru eyeing the drink before glancing over his shoulder to where Yamato had been leaning. He glanced at the server, meaning to say something but found her gone.

"Think this is safe to drink?" He asked, finishing his current drink and reaching out to take the glass.

"This is going to make your fifth drink." Hikari warned, Takeru taking a sniff of it and grimacing.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"Do you remember why we came here?" She asked.

"So we could watch me chicken out at the last second and completely go against what we agreed would happen." Takeru commented, picking up the drink and taking a sip. "He has terrible taste," he added with a grimace, setting it down.

"Like your taste is any better." Hikari said with a roll of her eyes, Miyako reaching over to take a sip.

"There's nothing fruit like in here." Miyako agreed, setting it back down with a grin. "Definitely not sweet enough for our sweet flower over here." She giggled again, pressing a hand over her mouth.

"I resent that," Takeru said, picking up the glass and knocking the rest of it back, feeling the haze of alcohol settle around him.

"You're gonna hate the morning." Miyako snorted.

"Please don't-" Hikari sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah?" Takeru asked with a cocked eyebrow. "At least I don't....damn it," he got up, walking over to the bar and ordering himself another drink, placing the money on the table. He jumped when he heard someone clear his throat next to him.

"Don't you think binge drinking is a terrible idea?" The blonde leaning against the bar asked, a drink in his hand.

"Can't do my kidne....liver? Eh, can't do much worse." Takeru said with a shrug. "What's it to you?" He took the drink from the server, turning on unsteady feat to go back to the table, seeing Hikari get up from the table.

"You just seem like someone who could use someone else looking out for them." The blonde said. "Yamato," he added, holding out his hand.

"Takeru," Takeru responded, glancing down at the hand before drinking the alcohol in several drags, setting it back on the counter and ignoring the handshake. "Your band isn't half bad,"

"I would like to think it's more of a collective effort, rather than just 'my band'." Yamato responded, watching as Hikari rested a hand on Takeru's shoulder.

"I think that's enough," she said with an iron in her voice that stopped Takeru from ordering another drink. "Sorry, he's....well, not a lightweight, but not sober." She said with a laugh.

"You're Taichi's sister, aren't you?" Yamato asked, Hikari looking startled by the question.

"Yeah, you know my brother?" She asked.

"We're friends of a sort," Yamato said after a moment, glancing over his shoulder. "Can you make sure that Takeru gets home safe for me?" He asked with a tip of his head, his body still relaxed as he lounged against the bar, ignoring the curious glances they were receiving.

"Do I....know you?" Takeru asked with a squint, feeling Hikari's grip tighten on his shoulder.

Yamato's face fell just a bit, the blonde hesitating. "I guess you were pretty young when mom left. I thought that's why you showed up here...maybe I was wrong." Yamato said, turning to leave. Takeru reached out, gripping the shoulder of Yamato's jacket.

"Please don't leave again," he whispered. Yamato glanced back at him, shaking his head slowly.

"Here," he said, jotting something down on a clean napkin and handing it to Takeru. "Call me when you're sober." he suggested.

Takeru took the napkin and shoved it in his pants pocket, Yamato glancing at Hikari with worry in his eyes.

"I'll make sure he doesn't freak out and talk himself out of calling you." She promised with a small laugh, tugging on Takeru's shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, she saw him jot something down, passing the piece of paper over to Yamato. "Why don't we head home?"

"Fine," Takeru said, turning and following her back to the table, Miyako having watched the exchange with great interest. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that Yamato had already returned to the stage with the rest of the band members to begin playing once more.

****

Takeru pulled a pillow over his face as he recalled the events of last night, feeling himself want to scream in exhasperation. He slowly sat up, blinking as the light filtered into the room, frowning. He wasn't in his apartment, that much he knew but...

"My head hurts," Miyako whined, Takeru watching her shuffle into the living room from his place on the couch.

"I told you that drinking more after we got home was a bad idea." Hikari said with a shake of her head.

"I was-" Miyako began.

"Trying to keep up with Takeru." Hikari finished, the man in question frowning as he sat up maybe a bit too quickly.

"What...?" He frowned, glancing down to find himself in a set of pajamas.

"You wanted to drink more when we left last night." Hikari said, walking over to him. "Not sure why but Miyako tried to keep up with you, shot for shot. How are you feeling this morning?"

"A bit sleepy," he said, muffling a yawn. "And embaressed by my behavior last night."

"Not even a little headache?" Miyako whined.

"You know I have very little in way of hangovers." Takeru pointed out, watching the girl slump into the chair at the table.

"My head is killing me." She whined.

"I warned you," Hikari said, resting a hand on Miyako's shoulder. "Anyway, my brother's coming for lunch, which is in about thirty minutes. Do you want to stay over?" She asked.

Takeru glanced down at his pajamas, glancing back up at Hikari. "Do I have..." He began, Hikari nodding.

"I found extra clothes for you in a bottom drawer. Who wants a shower first?" She asked brightly.

"Takeru," Miyako grumbled into her folded up arms. Takeru nodded, getting up and stopping in Hikari's room to grab a clean set of clothes, reminding himself to clean out the rest of the clothes before he left. He stepped into the bathroom, peeling off the long sleeved pajama top and shorts, looking at his reflection.

He grimaced when he caught sight of the faded scars, overlaid with newer scars, half healed cuts, and relatively fresh cuts. He pressed a finger to one of the ones he had done two nights ago, traving his finger over the raised edge before shaking his head.

"It's going to be okay," he told his reflection. He quickly stepped into the shower, quickly washing away the exhaustion from the night before under the warm spray. He got out once he was clean, walking into the living room. Miyako glanced up at him, Hikari setting a glass of water and asprin in front of her. She took it, swallowing half the glass of water and heading to the bathroom.

"She looks unwell," Takeru commeneted, taking a seat.

"You two finished off a bottle of Jack Daniels together." Hikari made a grimace, shaking her head. "You definitely had more though. Are you sure you're okay?"

"No," Takeru said, running a hand through his damp hair.

"Is this a...normal not well, or is this a special not well?" Hikari asked.

"Can it be both?" He asked, dragging his gaze up to her. "I'm sorry, I just...." he hesitated, shaking his head.

"I promise, you can talk to me about anything." Hikari said, reaching across the table and taking his hand, squeezing it. "I'm worried about you Takeru. You look like you haven't been sleeping. And you've been drinking more-"

"I'm fine," Takeru promised, meeting Hikari's gaze with a small grin of his own. "It always gets worse around this time of year, it's okay."

Hikari sighed, dropping his hand as there was a knock on the door. Hikari walked over to the door, flinging it open and meeting Taichi's grinning face.

"Long time, no see," he said, reaching forward and ruffling Hikari's hair. She rolled her eyes, shoving his hand away.

"I can say the same." She said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Have you gotten taller?" He asked, mimicking a relative who hadn't seen a kid in years.

"Oh, but you look so old Taichi," she said, takeru letting out a small giggle. Taichi grinned, turning to look at him.

"And how is your not boyfriend doing?" He asked.

"I got my own apartment ya know." Takeru responded, hearing the water shut off. 

"Ah, but yet you return here." Taichi responded, Hikari shaking his head.

"He and Miyako went out drinking last night." She explained.

"And what was the occasion?" Taichi inquired, taking a seat at the table.

"I wanted to see a band. It turned out to be a terrible idea." Takeru responded.

"By terrible, you mean....?" Taichi frowned, Takeru shaking his head.

By my account, he should be dealing with a terrible headache, and not wanting to move. But, here he is, completely fine and upright. Miyako on the other hand..." Hikari gestured as the woman appeared in the hallway, blinking.

"Hello Taichi, there are two of you." She commented.

"Hung over," Taichi guessed.

"Very," Miyako agreed, walking to the fridge and looking for anything that could be substited for a quick meal.

"how was your last season?" Takeru asked, feeling Taichi's gaze settle on him.

"You're lucky that you don't get hangovers." Taichi commented, tapping his fingers against the table. "Really lucky,"

"Do you know Ishida Yamato?" Hikari asked, almost innocently as Miyako finished foraging for food and disappeared into her room wth a small snap of the door shutting.

"Hmm?" Taichi frowned before he nodded. "Yeah, he's the lead singer in the band Knife of Day. We went to school together. Good friends, actually. Why do you have a sudden interest in my social life sister dear?"

"We saw his band play last night," Takeru interjected. "It was more of a question for me, rather than Hikari asking."

"They don't seem like the kind of music any of you would be interested in." Taichi observed.

"I've been trying to track down my brother." Takeru said, glancing at Taichi. "It's Yamato, I'm pretty sure. Ishida is my father's name."

"But not your name? Is he a half brother?" Taichi asked.

"No, mom changed our names to her maiden name when they devorced." Takeru explained. "I haven't seen my brother since...since they separated actually."

"So, you're trying to track him down and see if it's really your brother." Taichi guessed.

"Right," he said with a nod. "So, what do you know about Yamato's family?"

"Parents separated, he has an estranged brother that is three years younger than him. We...don't talk about that kind of thing when we're hanging out." Taichi said after a moment.

"What do you two talk about?" Hikari asked.

"I mean, we don't talk....much?" Taichi frowned, shaking his head. "Maybe when you're older." He offered, Hikari chuckling a the response. "Now, what are we doing about lunch? I'm starving." He grinned.

Takeru listened to the two siblings banter, feeling pleasantly at home amongst them.

****

"Daisuke, what are you doing?" Ken rested a hand on the counter, leaning over to catch a glance of what was cooking on the stove.

Daisuke quickly shooed him away, a grin on his face. "Now now, no peaking." He said, using his hands to block sight of the dish on the stove.

Ken rolled his eyes, leaning with his back against the counter. "You aren't making trouble now, are you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Since when have I made trouble?" Daisuke protested, raising his gaze up to Ken's face. He moved, his fingers brushing Ken's cheek before he lightly moved his hair out of his face.

"Since you waltz your way into my life." Ken responded, feeling the warmth of Daisuke's fingers on his cheek. He watched the man pull his hand back, rolling his eyes.

"Na-ah," Daisuke said with a shake of his head. "I was good for you, not trouble."

"Please, we're going overboard on making food again." ken said, almost sulkily. "Are you leaving?"

"Huh?" He frowned, brought up short by the question. he turned to Ken, quickly shaking his head and taking Ken's hands in his. "No, I'm not leaving. Not for another two months," he said, kissing Ken's hands lightly.

"You cook this much when you're getting ready to leave." Ken said quietly.

"Okay, maybe I have gone a bit....overboard on the cooking," Daisuke admitted. "I just....I couldn't sit still long enough to do anything and cooking helps calms my nerves," he explained.

"What are you trying to do?" Ken asked, tipping his head to the side. "That you can't sit still?"

"I mean...." Daisuke sighed, looking down at Ken's hands in his own before he pulled Ken into a hug. "I will admit the new neighbor has been on my mind, more often than not."

"Do you fancy him?" Ken asked, relaxing into the hug, resting his cheek on Daisuke's shoulder and closing his eyes. He felt comfortable in the embrace, comfortable in knowing that Daisuke was solid and there for him, regardless of what might have happened.

"Maybe...?" Daisuke frowned. "At the least, it's good to see him eating at least one or two good meals a week."

"You're worried," Ken murmured, hearing the tone in Daisuke's voice. "Like a moth to a flame." He mused, more to himself than Daisuke.

"And you're stressed," Daisuke responded, draggng his gaze up from Ken's hands.

"Yes," Ken said with a sigh, dropping his gaze from Daisuke's face. "I just...you cooking like this..."

"Only happens when I'm getting ready to leave. You know I wouldn't leave without telling you first." Daisuke promised, watching Ken fiddle with his fingers. "I wouldn't give you no warning either."

"I know I just...." Ken sighed, shaking his head. Daisuke watched his hair fall in place, freeing a hand to reach up and tuck it behind his hair once more, running his fingers through the silky strands.

"I love you," he reminded him gently. "I will not leave you."

"Thank you," he said softly, dropping Daisuke's other hand and meeting his gaze. "I love you too. Go back to cooking before it burns," he added with a smile, Daiuske turning to his food and letting out a soft curse as he went to rescue the food.

"I am leaving in two months' for a week." Daisuke commented, looking up from his food. "They have a resturuant they want me to help. They just hired a new chef, but you know how it is..." He frowned, Ken watching him with a nod.

"I plan on going over to mamam's for tomorrow through dinner, helping her sort out some of father's things... You should invite Takeru over for dinner." Ken suggested, leaning against the counter and watching Daisuke.

"Eh?" Daisuke frowned, his gaze darting to Ken.

"It's been a month and a half of you bringing food over to him and jealously looking at the woman that shows up on occasion. You like him, invite him over for dinner and be done with it."

"Don't you think that's a little....forward?" Daisuke asked with a frown. "Besides what if-"

"Please, no what if's." Ken sighed. "Should I ask him over to dinner than?"

"No-!" Daisuke shook his head, eyes wide at the thought.

"Tomorrow, five pm it is." Ken said, pushing himself away from the counter. He walked towards the door, amused when Daisuke glanced at him and tried to follow before he remembered the food on the stove. Ken escaped out of the apartment, walking down the flight of stairs and appearing at Takeru's door. He knocked on it, taking a step back and reaching up to fix his hair.

"Hello Ken, what can I do for you?" Takeru asked, opening the door in surprise as he saw Ken.

"Daisuke would like to invite you over for dinner with us tomorrow," Ken explained with a small smile.

Takeru glanced over Ken's shoulder, as if expecting the man in question to appear out of the air. He glanced at Ken, frowning ever so faintly. "Dinner?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's cooking currently, or he would have invited you himself." Ken explained, gesturing in the vague direction of their apartment. "What do you say?"

"I...would love to." Takeru said with a small nod. "Thank you Ken, and thank Daisuke as well. Before you go, I have a couple of your plates-" he turned away from the door, stepping towards the bar in front of his kitchen. Ken got a glimpse of the chaotic mess inside, a small frown crossing his face before he let it slide away, having spotted the nest of blankets in a corner.

"Here," he said, handing Ken a stack of plates. Ken took the plates, looking down in faint surprise.

"I knew Daisuke had a habit of not getting plates back..." He sighed, pulling them close to his chest. "Thank you Takeru,"

"Not a problem!" He said with a smile, watching as Ken hesitated. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"Ah, no, but you are...bleeding." Ken said, his gaze darting down to the blood that was sliding down Takeru's arm. He let out a soft curse, pressing his hand over his sleeve.

"I better take care of it, see you tomorrow," he said as Ken edged away, turning and walking back towards his shared apartment. He frowned when he heard the door snap shut, glancing behind him. He stepped back into his and Daisuke's apartment, setting the plates in the sink.

"Dinner tomorrow at five pm." Ken said, glancing over at Daisuke.

"What?" Daisuke asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"He's coming over for dinner tomorrow at five pm." Ken repeated himself, turning towards Daisuke. "And please make sure that you are getting our plates back from him. I would like to not eat out of bowls, if at all possible."

"Fine, fine." Daisuke sighed.

"It would be of note, I believe that he self harms as well." Ken said, beginning to rinse the plates, pleased to see that they had been washed prior to Takeru returning them.

"What?" He asked with a frown.

"Your habit of wanting to love broken men continues Daisuke." Ken responded, drying the plates and putting them away.

"You are not broken." Daisuke protested, Ken turning to look at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"I disagree, but arguing with you is like arguing with the river to change its course." Ken responded, watching Daisuke sigh.

"Please stop saying those things?" He asked, turning a look of pleading to Ken. Ken grimacing, closing his eyes and promptly hiding his face behind his hand.

"I'm sorry Daisuke." He said softly. "I find myself broken, while not everyone is. I often forget...please forgive me."

"There is nothing that needs forgiving. I just want to remind you that you are not broken." Daisuke said, walking over to him and kissing him gently. "Thank you for inviting Takeru over."

"You would have been too afraid." Ken said, pleased to see how the conversation shifted from the topic. "What time do you work tomorrow?"

"Nine in the morning," Daisuke responded, glancing at the clock.

"Mmm, then I'm going to pick out a movie and we're going to enjoy a movie and dinner," Ken said, walking towards the small living room and doing just that. Daisuke pulled the food off the stove as it finished, chucking to himself in amusement.

Bonus Notes:

A DaiKenKeru fic

Started: May 31st, 2018

Ken/Daisuke - more functional, sex, keep each other balanced, not really romantic  
Ken/Takeru - more romantic, less functional per say  
Takeru/Daisuke - rivelary with a side of sex(?)

No Digimon AU/slow burn(hahahaha)?  
Haha, who the fuck am I kidding, I'll go to hell with the DaiKenKeru ship tag.

*************************************************************************************************************************

Jou - 26  
Yamato/Taichi/Mimi/Sora - 25  
Koushiro - 24  
Miyako - 23  
Ken/Daisuke/Takeru/Hikari - 22  
Iori - 21

*************************************************************************************************************************

Jou - Medic  
Yamato - Musician  
Taichi - Soccer player?  
Mimi - Fashion model  
Sora - Tattoo artist  
Koushiro - Social worker  
Takeru - Novelist/Editor/Free lance writer  
Hikari - In school to be a teacher  
Miyako - Journalist  
Ken - Unemployed*for specific reasons  
Daisuke - Chef  
Iori - Defense Attorney in training *Knows Koushiro

*************************************************************************************************************************

Ken  
severe dependency issues  
Had been kidnapped and tortured for nearly a year while in school  
Does not talk about this time  
Daisuke is the *only* one to know full story  
Stuck by his side through everything  
Would take a bullet for Ken

Takeru  
Kicked out for being gay  
Self harms  
Never really knew Yamato

Daisuke  
Chef  
Wants to feed all the people  
Saw Takeru and fell in love  
Ken tries to keep him from being all over the place


	12. Descent into Darkness; Prequel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How did it all begin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be a prequel to the next chapter, Out of Darkness.

The six children look at each other, turning their collective gazes towards the deserted structure before them.

"Should...should we call out and see if there is anyone there?" Hida-the youngest-asked, his gaze sliding over the building.

"Come on, we can at least explore and see what this place holds." Motomiya says, taking a step forward. He feels a hand rest on his shoulder, his gaze jerking back to catch Ichijouji's face near his.

"We should wait a couple more minutes." He cautions.

"I'm with Motomiya on this one." Yagami speaks up, glancing towards the others. "We're in the forest with no protection. This is where the digimon said we would meet the others. Let's just...go in and check it out."

"I agree," Takaishi says, gaze darting to Yagami. "We don't know what's in there, but it would be better to be in an enclosed space rather than out in the open."

"Yeah, let's go in." Inoue said, adjusting her glasses.

Hida lets out a sigh, Ichijouji glancing at his new teammates before taking a step back and gesturing for Motomiya to take the lead. "As you were then." He says.

"The envoy said that we would meet the ones needed inside." Motomiya says, stepping forward and turning the doorknob to the building. It opens easily, the hinges making a ghastly noise that caused all of them to jump. Motomiya grimaces, but lets out a laugh.

"Didn't they also say there would be a group of humans here to...I don't know, help us?" Hida asked, voicing the worries that the others shared.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that they aren't inside." Motomiya offers.

"Children,"

They froze when they heard the voice, turning to the speaker. The digimon shuts the door behind them, nodding at them. "Welcome to the Forest Keep, it has been a while since humans have been here."

"We were told to expect humans and their partners." Motomiya stated, catching the digimon's attention.

"Yes, it is unforenate that they are....unable to help you proceed. My name is Leomon and I will be guiding you in meeting your partners. Pardon for the disruption in ceramony." The digimon said, gesturing for the children to follow him.

"What happened to the others?" Yagami asks, feeling Takaishi brush up against her shoulder as the group followed Leomon into the main hall. They see stone daises before them, several egg like items resting upon them with symbols emoldened on them.

"I have spoke with the harmonious ones on the subject," Leomon says. "It seems as if they were detained by something even they could not have predicted. They have not walked these halls for years now. They sacrificed themselves to protect the digital forest and human realms beyond."

"Why weren't the houses told of this?" Ichijouji inquired, his gaze only briefly landing on the eggs before them. "If we are so important, why weren't the houses told that the prior protectors were killed?"

"We would have, that is, if they were killed." Leomon replied. "They still live on, in a state that none other has taken before. They breathe through many things, their hearts beat with the earth. They still live, protecting the forest as is their job. While they do this, there was no need to alert the houses."

"I see," Motomiya said. "Then how will we learn?"

"The same way they have learned in the past, by actions and through mistakes." Leomon said. "There will be a few of us that can offer the help that you seek, if it is needed. Now, choose what feels right to you."

The kids exchanged glances but stepped up to the eggs.

"How do we know if they're the right ones?" Yagami asked, her hands resting on either side of the egg she was standing in front of.

"They will hatch, for you and only you if they are the right one." Leomon said, taking a step back.

****

"Where are you going?"

Daisuke stood in the doorway, watching as Ken glanced up from where he was taking food.

"There is something I have to do." He said after a moment, hesitant. "I... I am sorry, I am taking Wormmon and we are leaving."

"Leaving?" Daisuke asked with a frown. "Where can you go?"

"That's not really any of your concern, now is it?" Ken asked, his grip tightening on the sack of food he held. "We're not doing anything out here. We've gotten as far as having our digimon. There is nothing that we can do here otherwise. We're stuck, and I'm going to see if there is anything I can do to get us unstuck."

"We're not stuck," Daisuke scoffed. "There's just very little for us to do. The forest is at peace."

"Do you really believe that?" Ken asked, walking over to Daisuke. He set the bag of food on the table, turning to Daisuke. "Do you really believe that we are at peace?"

"Well, yeah." Daisuke said with a frown. "I don't see why we can't be. I mean, there is nothing for us to do."

"Leomon told us to wait until something happened." Ken said with a shake of his head. "I am tired of waiting for something that does not look like it will be coming. Thus, I am going to go and find out what is out there."

"Ken..." Daisuke frowned. "There's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"No," Ken said with a sharp shake of his head. "There is nothing you can do."

"Fine," Daisuke said, taking a step back when Ken reached out. "Then go, run away from us. We don't need you anyway."

"I wouldn't say that." He said with a sigh, stepping forward and touching Daisuke's cheek, eyes soft. "I... I am tired of sitting around and waiting. I need to do something Daisuke. Please, let me do this. I promise, I'll come back." He leaned forward, chastely kissing Daisuke.

Daisuke reached up, wrapping his arms around Ken's neck and returned the kiss. "You promise to come back?" He said, breaking off the kiss.

"If I don't return within a week, something bad happened." The fourteen year old promised, meeting Daisuke's eyes. "I just...need to see what's out there."

"Okay," Daisuke whispered, watching Ken finish grabbing food before heading out, Wormmon joining him at the door. "Just please come back," he whispered into the darkness.

****

The teenager huffed, bending over and curling tighter around the digimon as he feels the blunt object slam into his back.

"Are you seriously unwilling to give up?" The voice demanded, the icy coolness causing Daisuke to snap back to reality.

"Daisuke! Damn it,"

Daisuke winces as he hears the voice, listening to Pegasmon's cry of attack and feeling the weight lifted as the digimon is blown backwards.

"Daisuke, what are you-"

He glanced up, meeting Miyako's worried gaze with a grin. "I'm okay," he said, spitting out the blood that felt the need to pool in his mouth.

"Daisuke?" His gaze is dragged down to Chicomon, the small digimon shivering between his arms.

"Nah body, I'm okay." He said, sitting up and picking up the digimon. He lets his gaze scan the clearing, comforted to find Iori and Hikari on the back of Nefertimon while Digmon and Pegasmon squared up with the digimon that had been attacking him moments ago.

"You're hurt!" Miyako shouted, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him away from the middle of the clearing. "Daisuke, what were you thinking?"

"That this was wrong?" Daisuke offered, his gaze going to the ringed digimon, faced down with Pegasmon, Digmon, and Holsemon. "He's not like this."

"Daisuke... Gods! You have to give it up! You're stupid if you think charging out here will help anyone." Miyako said, ending her words with a smack across the cheek. "Oh shit, sorry, you're already hurt. I should have thought that through." She babbled as Daisuke blinked back stars.

"He was hurting Chicomon." Daisuke said, glancing towards Miyako.

"It's good that you found him then." Miyako said, glancing up from where she was kneeling next to him. "We can pull back, go after him later."

"We're so close though!" Daisuke growsed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Can't we just-"

"No, we have to retreat." Takeru says, resting a hand on Daisuke's shoulder. Daisuke nearly jumped, having not heard him approach. "You're bleeding, we can't leave you in that condition."

Daisuke looks up, seeing the Airdramon retreat with a strangled cry of frustration. "Retreat," he says finally.

"Thank you," Takeru said, his expression lightening as he lets out a whistle of retreat.

****

"What are we going to do?"

Daisuke glanced up when he heard the voices, crossing his arms over his chest and grumbling as he leaned against the frame of the door.

"What are we supposed to do?" He interjected, Hikari jumping slightly when she heard the voice. "He's part of our team. We have to help him."

"But..." Hikari frowned, shaking her head. "Daisuke, he left. He's putting up the dark towers, making it impossible for us to do anything but try and fight him."

"It's not like we were doing anything before anyway." Daisuke grunted.

"We don't have to fight about this." Takeru said, glancing between the two. "We know that Ken is causing trouble. We have to stop Ken. Simple as that."

"It's not like him though." Daisuke said with a shake of his head. "Something must have happened..."

"You keep saying that." Hikari said, frowning. "We had to come save you from being beaten into a bloody mess. Are you sure that this Ken is really the same Ken that we knew?"

"He..." Daisuke sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just, give me some more time to think."

"The others won't want to wait. He's turning peaceful digimon against us. He's trying to stop us from being able to fight back. We don't have time." Takeru said, shaking his head. "If we had time, we wouldn't be considering ways to kill him."

"Fine, I'll figure something out." Daisuke said, turning away from the pair and walking out of the room. Hikari rested a hand on Takeru's shoulder, shaking her head.

"Let him go," she suggested.

"But-" Takeru began.

"He's hurting, whatever happened between him and Ken is hurting him. We can't change his mind if he doesn't want it changed." She cautioned. "Let's find the other two and discuss stradegies we can use."

"Very well," Takeru sighed.

****

BONUS NOTES:

Descent Into Darkness:

Previous group became the holy stones-sacrificed themselves(?).

Ken ends up leaving the group-call of the dark ocean.

Fight against Ken - Who had a base under the forest in the tunnels.

Kill Ken, but he was reborn with light and hope(?)


	13. Out of Darkness; Sequel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The digital monsters and humans once waged a war against each other, leaving both sides nearly destroyed. From that war, the Harmonious Ones offered the humans an agreement, in which each house would send a child between the age of eleven and thirteen once every twenty five years to be bonded with a digimon. Six would be selected and they would be trained, to become defenders of the realm. Often, their time is idle, spent helping digimon more than interacting with the houses they were originally born into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I think I did actually start to post this one and then decided I wouldn't finish it.
> 
> So, if it looks familiar, you know why.

Prologue

It's quiet as the council sit before the throne, watching the figure there. They glance a teach other, one finally standing and clearing their throat.

"My lady, perhaps...there is another way to decide on who is sent into the digital realms." He said, voice wavering only faintly as the woman on the throne sits back, resting her hands in her lap.

"It is our duty to continue the agreement," she said, tipping her head to the side. "It would be wrong of us to break the bond that has built between our lands. We cannot afford war against creatures we are unable to fight against."

"But surely..." Another began.

"It has always been the way." She said, voice firm. "We have to make the choices that will continue our legecy. Those that have been selected will be sent, that we know. There is no way around it. Do any of you wish to speak out against the digital realms? Perhaps you can speak to the Harmonous ones and explain to them why we have decided to break with tradition. Their....envoys will be here on the morrow."

"Last time there was a child of royal blood, they were claimed. With no other heir-" Another began and the woman sighed.

"Yes, I know what happened last time." She said, raising a hand to the pendent at her throat. "That is a risk that we must take. The children were few, and we run close to the twenty fifth year of passing. If anything, the house of Yagami will not break centuries' old tradition because we only have one child."

"Is it worth it?" Another inquired. "If the prince is taken, there will be no one left."

"Pray tell, if we do not send the prince, who should we send?" The woman inquired. "We live in this world, dangerous as it is. We work in tandum with the digital realms, as well as we can. We keep with our agreements and they do not slaughter us where we stand. What would we do if they were to turn against us?"

"I..." The council pause, each member turning to look at the other, as if seeking the answers.

"There is nothing we can do. Those that serve the digital realms give us an iota of protection as well. That protection has served us well in the past. We still stand, thanks to those that bond with the digimon. We live in peace and none dare attack. We have but one for the house of Yagami to send, so we shall send him." She instructed. "We will not be the weak links in the armour."

"Perhaps we can speak with the Harmoneous ones, make them see... My lady, without an heir..." The man faulters, shaking his head. "It is madness."

"No, you seek the path of madness, arguing to withdraw from the contract. We can go down the path of madness, or we can take the path where less of us die!" The woman snaps, standing from her throne. "Would you rather have us all killed, or not have an heir?"

"I....my lady," a fourth man said quietly before a fifth cleared their throat.

"It is no easy task for a mother to give up a child. While the lady of Yagami House does have her own points. If you back down from the agreed upon contract, it would make the house itself look weak. After everything that has happened, from the lady losing her younger sister twenty five years ago, to losing her husband three years ago. The prince is all she has left. But if we are the house that draws from the contract made to the harmoneous ones, we will be the ones that are slaughtered." A woman said softly, her hair spilling down her back.

"Speaker," one of council members said, turning to look at the woman.

"We hear you, but without-" The first snapped.

"I will remarry and have more children." The woman responded. "But the speaker speaks true. If we are to withdraw, we will be showing that we are weak. Let the other houses know that we are strong, even in the face of destruction. We risk showing a weak hand towards the others if we do not move forward."

"Of course, my lady," several murmured, turning to watch the speaker.

"Speaker, may I request your presence?" The lady inquires, sitting back on her throne and dismissing the council with a wave of her hand. They quickly gather their papers, hurrying from the room with hastily made vows.

"Yes, my lady?" The speaker asks, sweeping up the stairs and joining her. She perches on the lady's throne arm, smiling at her.

"The other hourses, there is always a repeat. Eleven we are, where once were twelve. Do you believe it likely I will lose my remaining family?" She asks softly, taking the speaker's hands and meeting her gaze.

"It is likely, just as it is likely the other houses will lose their children. Of the main family the chosen shall take. Tis a curse, a burden, and a boon." The speaker responds. "I will travel with young Lord Yagami and make sure he is well taken care of before he returns home."

"It is a selfish hope, that he is not chosen," The lady sighs, offering the speaker a small smile. "But thank you, for the kind if untrue words you offer me."

"Taichi is a strong boy, he will flourish, wherever he may be." The speaker promises, leaning down and envolping the woman in a hug. "Get some rest and spend time with your family, my lady. Tomorrow will be a new day."

"Thank you," she said, quietly slipping from the chair and leaving the speaker still perched on the throne arm. The speaker watches her leave, tucking hair behind her hai rbefore she, too, left the room.

 

Chapter One

"OI! ISHIDA! You out here?"

The teenager taps his fingers against his leg, taking a moment to count to five in his head before he turned towards the call.

"What can I do for you Yagami?" He asked, watching as the browned haired boy made his way through the undergrowth.

"I came to check up on you. You've been out here for days now." Yagami said, jestering to the forest around them. "Wanted to make sure you didn't get lost or something."

"I'm not lost, obviously." Ishida grumbles, gesturing towards the forest. "Even if I was lost, Gabumon is with me."

"Yeah, but you heard the elders, this forest is dangerous." Yagami comments. "Anyway..."

"Why are you out here?" Ishida demands.

"There's been a message from the houses." Yagami replies, holding up a hand. Ishida snorts, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

"We always get news of the houses. It's not like you to come out here, scurrying because we got a letter from home." Ishida points out.

"So you do consider your house your home still?" Yagami grins.

"Get that look off your face. Gloating does not suit you." Ishida snapped. "You know what I meant. What is so important that the houses sent us a message and you have to come galevanting off to find me? Weren't you doing something important with the ranger?"

"Yes, I was. We're back now with information from the houses. We haven't actually read it yet, as Ichijouji insists that all of us be there when we receive the news." Yagami explains. "So, they sent me to come find you."

"Fine," Ishida grumbled, turning and letting out a whistle. He tips his head, listening for the crash of undergrowth before turning to Yagami.

"Where...is Gabumon?" Yagami asks, glancing from side to side.

"Somewhere," Ishida shrugged. "Look, we're coming, that's all you have to worry about. Besides, I'm out here for a reason."

"Uh...huh," Yagami frowns, glancing down when Agumon pulled on his pant leg.

"We should get out of here quickly." The digimon says, his gaze sliding to the forest around them.

"Right, we'll be back to the camp by the end of the night." Yagami said, Ishida rolling his eyes and turning when he heard a crashing through the forest.

"There you are," he says, not moving when Garurumon stopped in front of him. The wolf knelt down, Ishida climbing up and looking at Yagami. "I have no interest in walking all the way back to the encampment. Would you like to ride, or will you be okay doing that yourself?"

"I'll...take a ride," Yagami said, accepting the help up and pulling Agumon up with him before the wolf digimon took off, Yagami grunting as Ishida situated himself to be more comfortable for the ride.

****

"Ishida, Yagami, we were just beginning to worry about you."

The boys glanced at each other, Gabumon and Agumon chatting next to them before they turn, Yagami offering the speaker a huge grin.

"As it were, I had to find Ishida. But we're back now. You haven't read any of the news yet, have you Motomiya?" Yagami asks, eyes wide as Motomiya sighs.

"No, of course we haven't. We said we would wait for you, and we did." Motomiya promises. "Now, if you two don't hurry up get into the meeting room, we'll read it without you."

"We're coming," Ishida sighed, glancing from side to side before joining Yagami in walking to the meeting room.

"So what were you doing out there?" Yagami asked, glancing down to Gabumon, then at Ishida.

"Doing something that I was supposed to be doing." Ishida shrugged. "If Takaishi has decided to not share it with the group, I won't be the one to break his trust."

"Oooohhh, a secret task from Takaishi himself?" Yagami says, elbowing Ishida in the ribs with his elbow. "That has to have some interesting connotations behind it."

"Yes, it does." Gabumon interjects. "But as Yamato has stated, we are not allowed to share it with others."

"Come on Taichi, we're going to be late!" Agumon says, taking off down the hall.

"So full of energy." Yagami sighs, but follows the digimon down the hall anyway.

"What can we do?" Ishida shrugs.

It's quiet when the two humans walk into the meeting room, Motomiya pacing in front of the room while Ichijouji leaned against the blackboard. The others were mingling around the table, Takaishi glancing up when he saw Ishida enter the room and waved him over.

"Once this meeting is done with, we'll discuss what was found." He said, gaze sliding to the others. "If anything was found," he corrected himself.

"I found something alright," Ishida said with a shrug, glancing at the older man. "I'm not sure if it's helpful..."

"Okay everyone!" Inoue says, clapping her hands and clearing her throat. "Now that we're all present-" she pauses to give a meaningful look towards Yagami and Ishida, "We have received important news from the houses. Daisuke, if you would please."

"Finally!" Motomiya says, holding up the letter and breaking the seal. Ishida rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning against a row of cabinets next to Takaishi.

"Greetings Bonded of Digimon," he pauses, scanning through the rest of the letter before his gaze darts to Ichijouji with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, aren't you going to continue?" Tachikawa inquires, her arms wrapped around Palmon.

"We are writing to inform that there has been fighting amongst the houses. While this fighting was going on, the Lady Yagami was killed by an unknown force, leaving behind a two year old heir. Among the causalities and injured from the past several battles against the others, I regret to inform the Lord Inoue and the Lord Hida was alos killed. The murders are done with precision, always at night. The guards claim that everything was silent, before the murders were discovered.

"While the houses struggle to remain in balance, and despite the infighting, each of the others claim that they had no hand in this. The speaker of House Yagami has vanished in the wake of the events, and many believe her to be the reason three of the lords and ladies were murdered. We beg of the aide of those bonded to help against the fight of those that left behind the Harmoneous ones.

Please, bonded, help us in our time of need. We can no more afford to fight against an unknown enemy-humans that they may seem-then we can afford to let our weakness be known.

With great haste,

Houses..." Motomiya looks over the rest of the letter, shaking his head.

"Have we not heard of the unrest before this?" Hida asks, looking up from where he was sitting in a chair, his elbows resting on the table with his chin resting in his hands.

"We did hear of it," Ichijouji says with a shake of his head. "It was not something that was related to us. I've heard it through the digimon grape vine. I am worried that the other houses are starting to rear their own heads once more." He turns, extending a hand as Motomiyo placed the parchment scroll in his hand.

"It reads like an official missive," Inoue interjects.

"It is an official missive," Ichijouji says, dragging his gaze up from the letter. "Which leaves us in a bind. Yagami, what was found on the last outting?"

"There have been signs of human movement throughout the forest." Yagami says, smiling at Ichijouji sadly. "Tailmon was only able to go far, tracking them. I'll be taking Yagami out with me tonight, we'll see how far we can track the human trail through the forest."

"Which houses are you talking about?" Kido asks, glancing up with a frown.

"The four houses that were banished," Ichijouji says. "We were going to tell you that history tomorrow, I'm sure of it." He says.

"Yes, I was already discusing it with Ishida." Takaishi says, stepping away from the wall with a flourish. "There was once fifteen houses, before the contract of digimon and humans were concluded. All fifteen houses were constantly at war with each other and with the digimon around them. It was the Harmonous ones that approached each of the fifteen house lords and ladies, giving them the choice. They were welcome to send children, between the ages of eleven and thirteen, once every twenty five years to be chosen to bond with a digimon. Eleven of the houses-our houses as we know them-agreed to this contract. The four that did not left the humans far behind, travelling beyond the digital forest into the unknown lands."

"The lands aren't truly unknown, we have a fair grasp of what's beyond them." Inoue interjects. "We just...don't go beyond it because it's dangerous."

"It's dangerous and not worth the time when we have the forest and houses to take care of." Takaishi concludes.

"So the threat is coming from beyond there?" Yagami asks, crossing his arms with a frown.

"More than likely," Yagami says with a nod.

"Ishida, a moment?" Takaishi asks. Motomiya glances their ways and Ishida nods, pushing himself from the cabinets he was leaning on and going to follow Takaishi. "I'll be back Daisuke, promise." He says, offering Motomiya a wink before he and Ishida, along with their digimon, leave the room as Yagami and Inoue go back and forth regarding the threat coming from beyond the forest.

 

Chapter Two

"Where are we-" Yagami cuts himself off as Takaishi holds up a hand, shaking his head.

"Did you find anything while you two were out?" Takaishi asks, walking down a pathway that Yagami had yet to go down.

"No, we were looking for the objects that you described, but we couldn't find anything of the like." Yagami said, glancing down at Gabumon. "There were areas of the forest we hadn't reached out..."

"Of course," Takaishi says with a nod. "I wish we could spare another to help you but..."

"What exactly are we supposed to do with what we're looking for?" Ishida asked.

"We still don't know what your special ability is when it comes to evolving," Takaishi says with a gesture towards Patamon and Gabumon. "We have the armor evolution and the jogress evolution..."

"Why not assume that we can do the same?" Ishida interrupts, Takaishi glancing at him sideways.

"It's not that easy." He said finally. "Maybe it was easier for us, when we came here because we had no guidance from the group prior. Maybe we had a harder time because of that."

"You talk around the subject often enough... What happened?" Ishida said.

Takaishi frowned, shaking his head. "I don't believe that is a story we have time to discuss." He said, hands folding in front of him.

"Then at what point did you stop using house names?" Ishida asked.

"Around the same time that what we went through happened. We realized we were no longer part of the houses. We dropped the house names, we grew closer." Takaishi shrugged. "We hadn't used house names in...twenty two years? Not before you came. Of course, now we use them as a formality. As your teachers, that is."

"You say you had no guidance..." Ishida sighed, frustrated. "Then what the hell am I supposed to be looking for?"

"They're called the Holy Stones." Takaishi relents. "There are seven of them. They correspond with one of seven aspects that we have for our armour evolution. These stones were the souls of the group that came before us. They sacrificed themselves against something none of us were ever aware of. Despite all of our searching, we were never able to find out what happened to those kids beyond learning from the Harmonious ones that they sacrificed themselves."

"So we're looking for these stones?" Ishida asked.

"Well, no." Takaishi said, scratching the back of his head. "We know where the stones are..."

"So what the hell am I supposed to be looking for?" Ishida demanded.

"The power that the stones contain," Patamon offers, shifting from his position on Takaishi's head. "We know that you cannot armour evolve. If you could, you would have been able to do that from day one. You have the empty crest holders. You don't have the crests."

"So do we find these crests...at the stones?" Ishida asked finally, running a hand through his hair as Gabumon frowns.

"Maybe, it's unclear." Takaishi said with an apologetic smile before he grows serious again. "What I do know is that there is a darkness moving on the other side of the forest and we need to be ready to fight at a moment's notice."

"Did you have to fight within the first six years of being here?" Ishida asked.

"Yes, we had to fight." Patamon said solemnly. "Even then, there was a darkness that moved about the land. It was nothing that any of us could have forseen."

"TAKERU!"

Takaishi sighs when he hears his name, glancing up to see Motomiya hanging halfway out the door.

"What is it Daisuke?" He asked, feeling even his patience begin to wane at the interruption.

"Are you going to chat in the hallway all day like two old ladies or are you going to get back in here and tell us of your vision?" Motomiya demands. "You were talking about it earlier, insisted that it was important, and then just ditched us completely to gossip."

"I do not gossip." Takaishi replied, turning to glance at Ishida. "We will continue this talk, later. Again," he said, staring pointedly at Daisuke as the other huffs.

"What sort of vision did you recieve?" Ishida asked, following Takaishi back into the room. The chatter dies out as Takaishi lightly punches Motomiya in the arm, walking towards the front of the table. He fixed Ishida with a stare, offering him a half hearted shrug.

"Geez, it's like everyone just wants to gossip." Motomiya says, sinking into a chair.

"As I said Daisuke, it was not idle chatter and I do not gossip." Takaishi chided.

"You do have a point of rambling about nothing." Yagami supplies helpfully, grinning over the top of Tailmon's head.

"Rambling is not the same as gossip." Takaishi retorts but clears his throat. "This morning we received word from the Harmonious ones. It does confirm that, as in the letter, there is dissidence from those houses that turned their back on the Harmoinous one's offers. We have been tasked to find further evolution for the new group and..."

"That's it, really?" Motomiya interrupts. "That's all they had to say?"

"Daisuke, you're being rather rude." Inoue warns, turning to eye him. "Don't you think you should let Takeru finish?"

"They're sixteen, if they haven't found anything else-" Motomiya's protests are cut off as V-mon bounds up on his shoulder, placing his hands on Motomiya's mouth. He offers Takaishi an apologetic grimace, the older group laughing at the pair.

"As I was saying, there has been information regarding the evolution for Yagami's group." Takaishi says, gesturing towards the younger Yagami. "From the same source that we had gained our information from. Now, if Daisuke is done interrupting me, we'll be looking for different crests that will align to the armour evolution crests."

"How do we know when we find the crests?" Izumi asked.

"That, we will leave to you." Takaishi says, glancing at the others. "It's a good way to learn the forest without our getting in your way. The six of you will leave in the morning."

"But..." Tachikawa frowned, leaning her chin on Palmon's head. "Isn't the forest dangerous?"

"Yes," Motomiya says, taking control of the meeting once more. "While it is dangerous, you have an objective to reach."

"And what's that objective?" Takenouchi asked.

"Find the crests, find what is causing the disturbance in the forest." Inoue says, glancing at the younger group. "We will also be looking into the disturbance, but for now, it would be best to split into two groups."

"If not more," Takaishi says. "You do not have to stay together for the duration of this. But, the most important thing is for everyone to find their crests."

"Get ready to travel." Motomiya said. "We'll have breakfast tomorrow and go over where you will be headed to. Any questions?"

The six teenagers glanced at each other before turning their attention to Motomiya, shaking their heads.

"Get a good's night rest and, if you do have questions later, we will be reachable by the d-terminals. Have a good night!" The older Yagami says, flashing a smile before linking her arm through Takaishi's and dragging him out of the room.

 

Chapter Three

_There's a darkness that settles over the land. It strains and fights, struggling to be free._

_There's a darkness that once held the land, cooing at it, rocking it in its sweet embrace. The darkness wasn't quite friend, nor was it quite a fend. The darkness was there, holding the world in its arms._

_There once was a darkness that struggled to understand. It existed, but light could not get through. And when the darkness moved aside, the people that it cared for quickly cast it aside._

_Once, there was a darkness that persisted and was cast away when the light came._

_There was a light once, that wanted to be seen. It saw the world that the darkness held and grew jealous._

_The light grew brighter and brighter, forcing the darkness to step to the side. When the world was graced with the light, the light was appaled by the strange creatures that roamed the earth, flourishing in the shadows that they had grown up in._

_Now, the light and dark share the world. The monsters, known as digimon, keep the shadows of the forest, remembering a time when they ruled the land._

_Now, the light and dark share the world. The humans keep to the light of the plains and everywhere else, remembering a time when they were the hunted._

_The two live in an uneasy harmony, bridged by the pact that the Harmonious ones offered the humans._

_"Send us children, bring them to us. We will partner them with digimon, make a bridge between our kinds."_

_The first children sent were said to never be seen again. The fifteen houses grew in dispaire at the lost of their children. They waged a war, in which partnered humans and digimon were sent to stop, showing that they were alive, that they were well. The harmonious ones offered the same offer, again twenty five years later._

_Many of the houses agreed. Four of the houses recall the days where they sent the children to never hear word of them again. So they, with heavy hearts, withdrew from the contact and were lead through the forest to the other side. They crossed the sea, leaving the island of digimon and humans aside._

_But, they still recall the digimon and those that had died under their claws. They harbor the darkness that once shadowed the land. They seek to find a way to break the hold. For even now, their own children will occasionally go missing across the sea, drawn back into the call of what they had sought to leave behind._

_There are those that are against you. Those that wish to fight you. Those that wish for the darkness to be banished and those that wish for the light to be gone from the world completely. We seek to keep balance, to let those be protected that stay, and letthose that did not lead their own life._

_A balance you must find, for there is nothing but pain for those that seek to disarm it. You walk in the waters of darkness, even when you dream. You labor under the harshness of the sun. See the balance, seek to restore it._

_From the houses come four that will seek to disrupt it._

_Those four have the powers to destroy the peace that has been sought out on the island. They must not disrupt the path that has been set. Seek what you need, reach new heights._

_Whatever you do._

_Do not let the darkness nor the light sway you._

_There must be a balance._

_There must be._

_Holder of Friendship, do not be swayed. You will lose the way if you walk away._

Ishida jolted awake, feeling his breath hang heavily in the air as the words circle his mind. It takes him a moment to realize where he was. Back in the canopy of tree houses that the chosen used for their homes. He was safe.

"Yamato?"

"Yes Gabumon?" Yamato asked, turning his attention to the digimon peering at him in the semi-darkness.

"You seem to have had a nightmare. Are you okay?" He asked, tipping his head to the side in concern.

"Yeah, I'm...fine." He said after a moment. "If you can call nightmares fine, I suppose I am." He offered.

"It's nearly time for us to leave. Would you like to get food or try and go back to sleep?" Gabumon asked.

"How much time do we have?" Ishida asked.

"Nearly an hour." Gabumon confirmed, looking out the small, fabric covered window. "The stars are pretty tonight."

"Are they?" Ishida asked, removing the blankets from him and walking over to join Gabumon. He kneels, looking out the window and watching the stars through the tree banches. "You don't get stars like this in the city. I think that's what I like the most about being out here."

"What was it like?" Gabumon asked, causing Ishida to frown. "The city," the digimon clarifies.

"It was..." He frowned, searching for the words. "We did a lot of industrilization in my city. Lots of smog coming from factories. It's dirty and not at all healthy for kids to grow up in. At least, that's what House Ishida was debating before I came here."

"And the others?" Gabumon asked.

"I know each House specilized in something, I don't remember what the other houses were." Ishida admitted, hands on his knees as he thought. "It's been...a while since I had to think of something like that. Hey, Gabumon, what was it like before I came here?"

"Cramped," Gabumon said after a moment. "The idea that I would never get out of the egg lingered for a while as well. But then, you came along and ended that fear. I am glad that you are here Yamato."

"I'm glad that you're here too," Ishida said, hugging the digimon tightly. "Why don't we go down and cook breakfast for everyone?"

"Sounds great!" Gabumon said, returning the hug. "We need to have a good breakfast to send us on our way."

"Would you like to help?" Ishida asked, watching the digimon bashfully nod in agreement. The both of them head out of the small room, climbing down the tree and walking to the small dining area on the forest floor. It's quiet in the kitchen as Ishida begins to work, humming under his breath as the pair move about. It's nearly an hour later when the first person comes through, Ishida easily setting a plate in front of them.

"What's this?" Takenouchi asked, Piyomon settling down next to her curiously.

"I was up early and decided to do some cooking." Ishida said with a shrug. "We should start today out with as much nurishment as we can,"

"Thank you," Takenouchi said, offering half the food to Piyomon on the provided plate and beginning to dig in on her own half. The others slowly filtered in, Ishida providing them each with food before finally, once the other five had been fed, sitting down to eat himself.

"It's good," Yagami said, glancing up from his plate.

"Thank you," Ishida said, his gaze skittering over to him.

"I have the medical supplies needed for when we head out." Kido said, glancing around. "I figured it would be best for myself to hold on to the supplies."

"You do have the most medical knowledge out of all of us." Yagami said with a grin.

"Do you think we're prepared for this trip?" Tachikawa asked, glancing up from her food. "It will be the first trip from the treehouse."

"Of course we're prepared." Yagami grinned, turning to face her. "We just have to have the confidence that we'll be able to find the crests. We've been here for four years. We can do this."

"We don't know everything we need." Tachikawa protested. "There's still more to learn."

"We can learn along the way." Izumi said, shutting his laptop. "It would be a good way for us to learn the forest along with learning what we have to do, don't you think?"

"But..." Tachikawak sighed, shaking her head.

"Come on, the others will be waiting for us in about twenty minutes." Ishida said, getting up to collect dishes.

"No, no, we can do that." Takenouchi said with a smile. "You cooked, you shouldn't have to clean as well." She rested a hand on his, taking the dishes and heading into the kitchen. Ishida opened his mouth, trying to gather his thoughts to protest while Yagami snickered.

"You did cook Ishida," he said, collecting the other plates as well. "Takenouchi and I can do the dishes. We'll meet the rest of you at the main tree. It shouldn't take longer than twenty minutes."

"Taichi..." Agumon sighed, but followed his partner, helping gather the rest of the dishes that had been forgotten.

"Well, I suppose since you insist, I can't change your mind." Ishida said to the empty air, glancing at the others. "I'll see you out there then."

"See you," Tachikawa said, getting up and taking Palmon towards one of the communal restrooms. Ishida and Gabumon headed out the door, scanning the clearing for any threat before walking over to the central tree, looking up at it fondly.

"Good morning Ishida,"

He glanced over his shoulder, turning to Takaishi with a slight bow of his head. "Good morning, how did you sleep?"

"Well, thank you. Are you and the others about ready to set out?" Takaishi asked.

"Nearly, I'm just waiting for them to finish the dishes." Ishida said with a shrug, feeling Gabumon pull on his pantleg. He glances at the digimon, frowning.

"Will you not tell Takeru about the dream you had last night?" Gabumon asked.

"Oh, and what sort of dream did you have last night?" Takaishi asked, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"I really don't know how to describe it..." Ishida said, voice wavering in uncertainty. "It was... There was a voice, talking about light and dark, and how the darkness shadowed the world before the light came to be. At the end, it spoke of losing the way if I were to walk away."

"How mysterious." Patamon said, perking up from ontop of Takaishi's head. "Did they say anything that you thought was of importance other than the line?"

"No, most of it..." Ishida paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Most of it was shown as a picture. It was hard to follow along, if I'm honest about it. Just... The last thing they said."

"It may have been a vision from the Harmonious ones." Takaishi offered. "Or your subconcious giving you information that you need and you kenw, but did not remember."

"It didn't... It felt like it was all new information." Ishida said finally, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Think about it while you are on the trail. If you come across anything relating to yoru dream, let me know and we can discuss and perhaps understand the meaning of it together. Or, you could discover something completely unrelated that somehow ends up being related completely to what you dreamt about. It's up to you how you wish to interrupt it. I beleive that you will find out the meaning soon."

"Thank you," Ishida said, glancing up when he heard the footsteps of the others.

"Good to see you all here!" Motomiya said, dropping down on the rope swing and standing next to Takaishi, his hands on his hips with a grin. "The others are still asleep, had a bit too much to drink last night. Takeru and I are here to see you off and answer any last questions you might have." Motomiya said, flinging his arm around Takaishi's neck and dragging him over with a grin.

Takaishi lets out a small squak, regaining his balance as Patamon flutters in the air above his head, snorting at Motomiya as the other laughed. Ishida rolls his eyes, listening to Yagami as he laughed, theo thers exchanging glances as they try to figure out how they are supposed to react to the entrance of Motomiya.

Takaishi brushed off his jacket, shooting Motomiya a glare before producing a rolled up scroll from one of his jacket pockets. "Now, it is important to remember that you six must work together in order to find the crests that you seek. These crests will be important to figuring out what further evolutions can be mastered. I have several points of interest marked down on the map that might contain what you are looking for. If you have any questions, or find anything of importance, message us."

"Of course, we will be busy with our own search." Motomiya said, uncharistically serious as he looks at the six teenagers before him. "We will help you when we can. But do not be afraid to do this on your own. You're all capable partners and digimon and I have faith that you will acomplish what you must."

"Of course we can," Yagami said, meeting Motomiya's gaze. "We will not let you down."

"Then go," Takaishi said, holding out the scroll for Yagami to take. "When you find the crests, please mark them down. I'm curious as to where they are located."

"Of course," Yagami said, taking the scroll and shouldering his bag higher. "We'll do you proud."

****

"We'll do them proud?" Takenouchi asked as the six of them sit around the camp fire, huddled with their digimon under the blankets that several of them had brought along.

"Well, what else was I supposed to say?" Yagami asked, glancing around the group.

"I don't know," Izumi said with a frown. "We're supposed to be going to the east of the house. We can't leave the forest proper, of course."

"Can we start with the first things?" Tachikawa asked, linking her fingers together.

"What's the first thing?" Yagami asked.

"Dropping the last name thing." She said. "I would prefer to go by first names, if everyone is okay with that. I know we've been engrained that our idenity is set in our names. We're beyond that, aren't?"

"Sure," Yagami said, his gaze darting around the group. "We are beyond the houses."

"That would be good," Takenouchi said.

"Agreed," Kido said, letting his gaze sweep through the group. "It would make more sense."

"I would love that," Izumi said, settling back in his seat and looking at Tentomon with a grin. "It's what our digimon do already."

"All in agreement?" Yagami asked.

"Sure," Ishida said, looking up from his harmonica.

"Now that is completed, next order of business?" Yagami asked. The others turned their attention to him, Ishida watcing as Agumon snored at his side.

"Finding the quests." Izumi said, pulling the scroll out in between them all. "This map is for the area that we're in. What are we looking for as far as the crests go?"

"We have the idea of what crests we're looking for," Yagami said thoughtfully.

Ishida gets up, brushing off the back of his pants. "We've been walking all day. We know that we are looking for the crests and we don't have a set time to find them. We can continue the discussion while we walk in the morning. I'll be taking first night shift, who would like second?"

"Ishida..." Yagami sighed, shaking his head. "I'll take the second shift. Wake me up at midnight?"

"Yeah, midnight." Ishida said, walking to the edge of the area that the group had picked out. He sat down next to Gabumon, holding the harmonica in his hands before bringing it to his lips and starting to play.

"Such a lonely tune," Gabumon said quietly, leaning his head against Ishida's leg.

Ishida pulled the harmonica away, smiling down at the digimon. "It's a lonely night." He pointed out. "I suppose it would be a lonely tune for such a lonely night."

"But it's pretty, please keep playing." Gabumon insists and Ishida does that, starting to play once more to pass the time to midnight.

 

Chapter Four

_"Welcome to the fortress of the chosen,"_

_The children look up, staring with wide eyes at the group of digimon and adults before them. Behind the group stood a building at ground level, and further down, they could see several ladders aleading up to the trees, were they could just make out little tree houses._

_"My name is Daisuke Motomiya, we are known as the Ancient Evolution group. We will be your guides for the duration of your six year training period. We ask that you, one at a time, step into the building behind me. As you know, there are eleven of you and only six digimon eggs that will hatch. Those that are not chosen will be sent home." Motomiya said, his gaze sweeping the group._

_"As Daisuke said, only six will be taken. We will take each of you, one by one, into the back. If an egg hatches for you, we will introduce you to the others and make sure that you will be at home." A young woman said, the cat digimon at her feet glancing towards her. "Shall we begin?"_

_"Of course," Daisuke said, handing her a piece of paper._

_The children shift in their positions, glancing at each other as the woman started at the top of the list. She takes each one back, only two returning from the first six that went back. Two more enter, one being accepted and the boy at the very back grows almost disheartened as he looked around at the group waiting to be called and the group that would be returning back to the Houses._

_"Last, Yagami Taichi." The woman said, her gaze landing on the lone boy, who was scuffing the dirt with his shoe. He looked up, almost in surprise but walked over, the woman offering him her hand. "My name is Yagami Hikari, I'm your aunt." She explained as she led him into the back._

_"Mom's told me about you." Taichi said, glancing towards her. "She didn't mention..."_

_"It's hard to say if we're here to help guide the new chosen into their paths or not." Hikari explained. "At the last cycle, they knew which children to send. We didn't have to go through the process like we do this time."_

_"Why is it different sometimes?" Taichi asked._

_"We don't know." Hikari said with a shrug. "But, that is the last egg. Want to try it?"_

_"Of course," the child said, walking over to the egg and resting his hands on it. He stares at it, feelign the warmth between his palms before he glanced at Hikari. "What is it supposed to feel like?" He asked._

_"Warm, give it a moment more." Hikari said, waching as the child nearly begins to fidget. It's nearly two minutes more before there is a burst of light and a Botamon was jumping between Taichi's hands._

_"Wow," he said, eyes wide as the Botamon settled down, watching Taichi curiously._

_"Congratulations Taichi, and welcome to the Order of the Chosen. The others have prepared a feast to celebrate the new arrivals. You and Botamon can go through that door on the left and you'll meet the other chosen children." Hikari said with a smile, Taichi giving her a toothy grin before running the way she had told him._

_When he entered the hall, he felt a shiver over his skin, meeting the gazes of the other five children and their digimon. He waved, awkward as he took the last free seat, Botamon sitting on his lap._

_"I'm Takenouchi," a red haired girl said, smiling at Taichi._

_"Ishida," the blonde haired said, glancing at Taichi from the side of his eye before staring back down at his food._

_"Izumi," The red haired boy said, a laptop sitting on the floor next to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you."_

_"Kido," the blue haired boy said, adusting his glasses._

_"And I'm Tachikawa!" The last girl said with a smile._

_"Yagami," Taichi said, feeling embarressed as they glanced at each other before glancing at him._

_"In relation to the woman that led us to the eggs, correct?" Izumi asked, curious._

_"Yeah, I suppose." Taichi said, shifting in his seat and glancing towards the food on the table. "Are we allowed to eat or are we waiting...?"_

_"Welcome!" The six of them jump when they hear the voice, seeing the man that had first introduced himself. "Congratulations on being chosen. As I said, my name is Motomiya Daisuke, the leader of the group of chosen that will be your mentors for the next six years. We will pair up your interests with myself and the others as soon as we eat. But first, we eat and celebrate the coming of the new chosen!"_

_He sat down at the other end of the table, loading up his plate as several others straggling into the room._

_"Typical Daisuke, not even waiting for everyone to welcome the new chosen before he's shoveling food in his mouth! You should be ashamed of yourself." The woman with glasses said, her attention on Motomiya._

_"Can't you even wait five minutes Daisuke? I know food is important to you, but jeez." The blond haired man said with a laugh. "Welcome, from myself to all of you. My name is Takaishi Takeru, I am the Historian of our group. You've met Daisuke. The woman with glasses is Inoue Miyako, our coin master and map maker."_

_"The term is Cartographer." Inoue said with a baleful glare._

_"Our ranger is the lovely Yagami Hikari, who you have already met. Next, we have our Weapons master and second historinan, Hida Iori, and last but not least, Ichijouji Ken, our intelligence and communications specalist. As I said, today was a huge day for you young ones. Tomorrow will be easy, but then the day after that, the true training begins. I hope you find your stay here pleasant and easy." Takaishi said, taking a seat next to Motomiya and slapping his hand away from another roll as the others joined, Inoue grumbling under her breath still._

_The children glance at each other, but take that as their queue to begin eating. Taichi sits, listening to the banter of the adults as he fed the Botamon in his lap, barely able to contain his excitement._

Taichi sighed, tapping a finger against his cheek as he watched the sky, feeling Agumon's paw tug on his shirt.

"What are you thinking?" The digimon asked, blinking at Taichi curiously.

"How we got here." Taichi said after a moment. "And I'm glad that we're getting a chance to explore the forest."

"But we've been out here before." Agumon said with a small frown on confusion. "Wasn't that exploring the forest as well?"

"Well, we have been out here, but never a day or two more away from home." Taichi said, trying to figure out how to explain to the digimon. "When I first got here, I thought it was a huge adventure. Then, we were confined to one area for the first two years. It was fun when I started to train with Hikari, because I got to leave the treehouses and see stuff. But, that grew boring because it was the same paths over and over. Now, we're looking for the crests, if I recall correctly. We get a change to go places that we haven't yet."

"And you're excited?" Agumon asked, watching as Taichi nodded with a grin.

"Of course I'm excited," Taichi said. "I dreamed of joining the Chosen since I was young. I recall mother telling me that my aunt had been chosen to join and I got so jealous. She got angry because I wanted to go. But, we talked right before she left. She said that she hoped I wouldn't be picked, because I was the last of her family. I understand that she was sad to see me go but..."

Taichi sighed, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "I wanted to do something great. I always felt like joining the chosen would be the best way to do it. But when we got here... It was a lot of work I never realized. But, it was worth it."

"Why?" Agumon asked curiously.

"I got the best friend anyone could ever ask for." Taichi said, leaning over and hugging Agumon tightly.

"But your mother....?" Agumon tipped his head, Taichi letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, she was...killed." Taichi thought, slumping against the tree with another heavy sigh. "I wish I was able to go back, at least be there for the funeral. But that's not something that would be wise. I've been so long removed from the houses that I don't know if I would even be able to fit in with everyone."

"Could you have asked to go back for the funeral?" Agumon asked.

Taichi thought about it, shaking his head. "I don't suppose there was time, now was there?" He asked. "Besides, I know what my path as a bonded and chosen is. We have to set aside the bonds that we held in the past in order to do the job here."

Agumon frowned, scratching the side of his head. "I don't understand humans." He decided after a moment. "Your politics are too confusing."

"Thanks," Taichi said with a sigh. "I suppose it doesn't matter," he added after a moment. "We have to find the crests, there would have been no time to go back for the funeral, even if we didn't have a delay in messages."

"Well, I'm glad you're here." Agumon said, throwing his arms around Taichi's middle. "I would have missed you if you had gone back to the houses."

"I would have tried to take you along." Taichi said with a grin.

"But you know what wouldn't have been allowed." Agumon frowned, shaking his head. "Besides, as you said, we have to find the crests!"

Taichi nodded, turning his head when he heard a crashing noise in the forest. He glanced towards the still sleeping figures of the others, getting up from his spot. "Let's go check that out." He decided.

"Should we tell the others?" Agumon asked, glancing towards them as well.

"If it's something we can't handle, yeah." Taichi decided, patting the pockets of his pants to make sure he had his digivice on him. Agumon nods in agreement, the pair heading deeper into the forest as Taichi began tracking the noise.

****

"Excuse me, Yamato...?"

Koushiro shifted, squatting next to the blonde and lightly touching his shoulder. Ishida grumbled, attempting to blindly push his hand away.

"Yamato, please wake up." Koushiro said, getting a better grip on his shoulder and shaking Yamato awake. The blonde's eyes snap open, his body moving away from Koushiro as he crouched, holding what the other took to be a very sharp knife.

"What's wrong?" Yamato asked, his tone cool as the knife disappears into his shoe. "And please don't shake me awake like that."

"I'm sorry, I was unable to wake you otherwise. I wanted to let you know that Taichi seems to have disappeared." Koushiro explained, glancing over his shoulder. "He never woke Sora for the shift change last night."

"Oh," Yatamo frowned, glancing towards Gabumon, who was now listening to the conversion though yawning periodically. "Was there a note of any kind?"

"No, and we tried reaching out to him with the D-terminals, but he has left his behind. Takaishi has sent you out into the forest before, do you think you could track him?" Koushiro asked. Yamato glanced around, taking in the fact that the other three were no longer at the temparory campsite. "The others already went looking for him, though they stayed in a group." Koushiro explained, taking in the way Yamato was looking.

"I don't have much skill tracking," Yamato said with a frown. "My journies into the forest was always about finding inner peace, or something like that."

"That's not true," Gabumon interjected, Yamato glancing at his digimon.

"Koushiro," Tentomon said, waving a claw in the air to get his attention.

"Yes, Tentomon?" Koushiro asked, getting up and turning to the digimon. "Have you found anything?"

"No," Tentomon said with a shake of his head. "Other than footprints that lead to the edge of the clearing, then seem to disappear."

"That's something at least." Yamato said, pulling his shoes over and tugging them on. "We haven't told...anyone else, other than us five knowing, right?"

"No, I was going to alert our teachers if we were unable to find him by evening." Koushiro explained. "Jyo said we should tell them right away but..."

"I would give us as much time as possible in order to find him before we tell the others that Taichi got lost within the first day of us being on our own." Yamato decided, glancing around. "I can take Gabumon and we can start searching the area. Do you want to join us or stay here?"

"Uhm, I'm not sure if I could be much use..." Koushiro frowned, glancing towards Tentomon. "I'm really much better at computers and the like."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine." Yamato said with a smile. "We'll tell the others that we will be back by noon, if you would like to send them a message. We just have to hope that Taichi didn't go too far away."

"How will we search?" Koushiro asked.

"Gabumon, ready to evolve?" Yamato asked, holding out his digivice. The digimon nods, the evolution happening with a flash. Yamato and Koushiro both take a step back, looking up as Garurumon swung his head around, taking a sniff of the air. "We'll let Garurumon track down where Yagami might have gone." Yamato explained.

"Such an effortless evolution." Tentomon said, buzzing around Garurumon to take him in curiously.

"How long is he able to hold the form?" Koushiro asked curiously, Yamato clambering up on the digimon and offering Koushiro a hand up.

"I think the longest we've gone has been a day and a half?" Yamato said with a frown, pulling Koushiro up when he accepted the hand. "That is one of the things that Takaishi had grilled into. Not quite a ranger, like Yagami is and Yagami was supposed to be, but at least a good enough one to be used as backup."

"I see," Koushiro said, wrapping his arms around Yamato's waist when Garurumon took off. Tentomon hurried along behind, the wolf stopping where there was no longer any footprints to follow. He put his muzzle to the ground, taking a sniff and frowning, lifting his head and looking to the left.

"It looks as if Agumon and Taichi were being followed, there are other scents that mingle in with theirs right here." Garurumon said, walking at a slower pace as he tracked the scent.

"Can you tell what they were being followed by?" Yamato asked.

"I smell digimon, not sure which and..." Garurumon pauses, turning his head towards the forest. "There's something that way." He said, Tentomon fluttering upwards in the tree and grabbing something that Yamato can't make out. The smaller digimon brings it back, Koushiro reaching out and taking the scrap of fabric with a frown.

"It looks like it came from Taichi's shirt," Koushiro said, holding up the scrap. Yamato glanced at it, shaking his head in uncertainty.

"Let's call the others back and all of us go this way." He said, Garurumon turning back around and heading towards the makeshift camp. "If something caught him, we can't be willing to go the same way without backup."

"Of course," Koushiro said, holding the fabric in nervous silence.

 

Chapter Five

"He's starting to wake,"

"Maybe if you didn't hover-"

"Where else are we supposed to-"

"Shush,"

Taichi let the voices wash over him, trying to collect his thoughts as he opened his eyes, looking at the dark ceiling above him with a frown. He moved to sit up, feeling a wash of nausea run through him.

"Oh no, don't sit up now. You hit your head pretty badly. We got the bleeding to stop though!" A voice said, a face flashing above you as you're pushed down against the bed. "I mean-" The shadow cursed, stepping back as one of the voices from before sighed.

"Shade, you blew the cover damn it. Well, I suppose it doesn't matter." A masculine voice said sulkily. "We were already going to be in trouble for being down here. I suppose you just had to cause us more trouble, didn't you?"

"If you didn't want to come Astra, you didn't have to." The voice belonging to whom Taichi assumed was Shade, grumbled. "We were the ones that found him, so it should be us that gets to meet him first."

"But the others-" The one Taichi assumed was Astra sighed, a rustling of fabric making him frown. He had closed his eyes again when the person had stepped back, letting the light fall on him. It caused his head to pound, and when he tried to open his eyes even the slightest, the pain doubled.

"We should at least tell mother that he is awake. He most likely needs medical attention." A third voice offered, softer than the other two.

"He could be an enemy." The second muttered. "Shade, coming down here was a terrible idea!" There's a scramble of feet on dirt as a door opened somewhere, the three voices retreating and leaving Taichi to the harsh light.

"Agumon?" He whispered into the silence, slowly sitting up with care from the bed he had been laying on. His hands sink into the sheets and blankets, his head seeming to grow larger with each pounding heartbeat. "Agumon, you there buddy?" He asked, his stomach twisting as he struggling to stand.

"I would not do that if I were you, young one." A voice said, Taichi opening his eye to catch sight of someone standing in the doorway out of the small room.

"Where am I?" Taichi asked, his hands curling around the edge of the bed he was now sitting on, the light growing dim enough he could see without pain.

"You are in the tunnels under the forest, but where exactly, I cannot tell you." The figure said, stepping into the room and shutting the door. "We found you unconcious and alone. What is a child such as yourself doing out all alone?"

"I wasn't by myself," Taichi snorted, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light before he looked at the figure, taking in the dusty clothing. A hood was pulled up over the head, though it looked like cat or dog ears were poking out of the top of the cloak. "I had my partner with me."

"We saw no partner," the speaker said, sitting down on a chair and folding their hands on their lap.

"Agumon, he's a digimon." Taichi said, searching the figure's shadowed face. "Who are you?"

"I am Surry, the head of the houses of the under dark." The figure responded. "Digimon are not partners, they are monsters. Things that are best to be left alone." Surry commented. "Children should not be playing in the forest, but are best at home, with their mothers."

"My mother's dead," Taichi said blankly.

"I am sure there is peace where she is now. But if she is dead, does that not make you the heir of the Yagami household? Surely you would be better there then frolicing in the forest with such dangerous creatures." Surry said, voice soft. "Surely we can bring you home, home to a place that would serve you better."

"I... Home?" Taichi said with a frown, shaking his head. "I don't have-"

"Shush now child," Surry said, raising a hand and resting it on Taichi's cheek, the hooded gaze meeting Taichi's. He sees a glimpse of red, a chill taking his heart. "You should rest, you hurt your head hard. All will be okay, just rest now." The figure said, pushing lightly for Taichi to lay. He does so, his body feeling heavy. And when he closes his eyes, he can see the glimpse of red under the hood. "We will take you home, worry not, young Yagami. You will be safe when you wake up."

****

"Garurumon, stop." Yamato said, standing up as the digimon comes to a halt.

"What is it Yamato?" He asked, the teenager grimacing as Koushiro yelps at the sudden change, moving forward to balance himself as Yamato slipped down, landing in the dirt and walking back, his gaze scanning the undergrowth.

"I thought I saw something orange," he explained. "Are you okay Izumi? I didn't mean for Garurumon to stop so suddenly."

"I'm fine." Koushiro responded, sitting up straight and glancing at the ground. "Tentomon, did you see anything orange?"

"No, but I was on the other side." Tentomon said, joining Yamato on the right side of the path and beginning to make lazy circles above, seeking what had been seen.

"Agumon," Garurumon said, sniffing the air and catching the scent. He turned his head, Yamato kneeling down and moving the undergrowth out of the way to uncover the digimon. "What is he doing out here without Taichi?"

"Huh?" The digimon blinks in confusion as Yamato touches his shoulder, gently helping him out of the underbrush. "Taichi...?" He asked, staring at the human.

"No, we haven't found him. Agumon, what happened?" Yamato asked.

"We heard a noise during the watch," Agumon said tentively. "Taichi said we should go and investigate. I thought that we should tell someone, but we ended up just going. It was around...two in the morning? The fire was low that had been built and it was a lovely night. The stars were clear between the leaves."

"What sort of noise did you hear?" Koushiro asked, Garurumon leaning down for the other kid to slide off, making his way to the digimon.

"A rustling, like someone was walking through the woods. And, when we were about ten minutes from the camp, we heard laughter." Agumon said, tipping his head. "At first, Taichi wondered if it was one of the older group. But, the voices didn't sound like anyone from the other group. I know their voices well. The laughter was..." He paused, scratching the back of his head in thought.

"Do you think we should head back and contact the elders?" Garurumon suggests, Koushiro glancing back towards the digimon.

"It would probably be for the best." He agreed, glancing between Yamato and Agumon. "We can make sure that Agumon is good back at camp. I'll send a message to the other three and let them know to return to our camp as soon as possible."

Yamato frowned, glancing around the area and shaking his head. "We have to hope that Yagami will be safe on his own for a bit longer. Yeah, let's head back." He turned, staring into the forest when he heard something otu of place, but was unable to place it.

"Yamato?"

"I'm coming," Yamato said, helping Agumon up onto Garurumon's back before clambering up as well, offering Koushiro a hand up. The digimon turned, Tentomon landing on his back as they hurdled through the forest back the way they came.

****

"Find anything yet Daisuke?"

"Why am I the only one looking?" Daisuke grumbled, sitting on the ground and crossing his arms to look between Ken and Takeru with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on Daisuke, you aren't the only one looking!" V-mon said, jumping on his head. "We're all looking, the others are just giving you a chance to show how amazing your skills are when it comes to finding stuff."

"I can hardly find stuff in the my own room, let alone an entire forest." Daisuke said, pulling V-mon off his head and setting him back on the ground.

Ken offered him an apologetic smile, shaking his head. "We're looking for any signs that the tunnels are being used." He explained.

"Oh, the tunnels we found when we were younger?" Daisuke asked.

"Yes, those tunnels." Ken agreed, frowning as he glanced around the clearing. "Most of the entery ways had been sealed but..."

"The disturbance of digimon is what makes us believe that the tunnels are being used again." Takeru explained, his gaze sweeping the clearing. "Iori is going to message us once his group is done checking the sealed enterances. But that doesn't mean that someone didn't find another way into them."

"Have we talked to Leomon recently?" Daisuke asked, pushing himself off the ground and brushing his pants clean. "Ken, you had the entire tunnel system mapped out, didn't you?"

"I had most of it," Ken said uneasily. "There were parts that I couldn't get into, back then. I figured them for collapsed tunnels. But, I don't have the ability to recall the entire map. It was miles and miles of tunnels that ran under the forest and out of it. I'm sorry," he says with a shake of his head.

"That's fine," Daisuke said with a sigh, resting his chin in his hand.

"Why do you want to go back int othe tunnels?" Wormmon asked, glancing between Daisuke and Takeru.

"We think there is someone living in the tunnels again." Takeru explained.

"Or they've possibly been there the entire time." Daisuke said darkly. "Just waiting for the chance to come back and attack everyone."

"Who would want to live underground though?" Patamon asked. "It would be dark all the time, and cramped as well."

"The houses that were sent away." Ken responded. "With the attacks on the eleven houses, we have to consider all the options. We know the four banished houses were sent to the other side of the forest, of which borders the sea. It was thought that the banished hosues left the land for good, but that doesn't mean they did."

"So we're trying to figure out if they left, or if they went to the underground tunnels." Takeru responded.

"But if they went to the tunnels, wouldn't they have had a lot of time to organize themselves?" V-mon asked. "They were cast out a long time ago..."

"Yes, that is the other problem that we came across." Takeru agreed.

"If they're in the tunnels, and have been for centuries, then they would have found a way to protect themselves." Ken explained, keeping his gaze trained on Daisuke. "And if they protected themselves in the tunnels for that long, we are looking for a needle in a haystack."

"I don't want to be looking for a needle in the haystack." Daisuke groaned, running a hand over his face. "I want to be able to just fight the enemy and get it over with."

"We know for sure that something is moving in the forest. It's imperitive for the younger children to find the crests." Takeru said, shovings his hands in his pockets. "That will be the only way to fight the coming darkness, regardless of what that darkness may be."

"Is there no other way?" Daisuke asked. "Do we even know what the darkness is?"

"Nope," Takeru said with a smile. "But that's how we work, right? We move in the shadows to fight the darkness."

"Says the bearer of the Digimental of Hope." Daisuke said with a snort.

"We'll work through this." Ken promised, picking Wormmon up. "For now, we just have to hope that the kids can manage without a little more help."

"Here we go," Takeru said, walking over and stamping at a patch of earth with his boot. He jumps back as a hollow creaking sound returns to him, the old wood breaking under the abuse.

"That's one," Daisuke said, pulling out his d-terminal and pulling up the map. He marked its location, grimacing. "One that we have to fix." He amended.

"If the others are in the same state, it is possible that someone has gotten into the tunnels." Ken said, kneeling down and looking at the rough stone stairway down. "We need to warn the others. Make sure, for certain, that no one is in the tunnels."

"And the kids?" Daisuke asked.

"They have to be okay on their own." Takeru said with a sigh. "Let's get back to camp and speak with the other three. Maybe we'll figure something out."

"Changes are coming," Daisuke said, quiet. "Whether we like it or not."

"So we have to be prepared." Wormmon said, Ken nodding, distracted as he stared a the hole.

"I'll take Wormmon down the tunnels in the morning, as long as it doesn't look like it'll rain, see what we can find out." Ken promised.

"Will you be okay?" Takeru asked.

"We'll need to know what's down there." Ken said with a shrug. "I know them well enough to not get lost. And I can check on other doors out while I'm down there."

"We'll both go," Daisuke said, resting a hand on Ken's shoulder. "But in the morning, after we get rest."

"Good," Takeru said, squatting down and pulling the broken wood back into place. "We'll go through and resecure any entrances as well, tomorrow." He said, glancing towards the sky and watching the clouds, a shiver running down his psine as he considered the possibilities.

 

Chapter Six

_The things under the forest moved, settled with creaking. There were deals made, secret and quiet. There were notices pinned, warning of things that may come. Things under the forest would be moving, maybe not up, but certainly not down. When those that had fled left, they had found places that were not across the ocean._

_They found places to burrow and hide, to wait and lurk. Half went across the ocean, for there would have never been peace if they did not leave, but those that would, stayed. They would have vengence. They laid the seeds, planted their distrust. They would know of the ongoings above._

_Most importantly, they found a way to fight the digimon, human though they were. This, they kept a close secret. It would be needed and they would find a way to fight. When they were found, the first few times, they fought back and grew stronger._

_Now it was under those dark tunnels that such a thing as magic flowed. They learned to play with it, learned to interact in a way that the digimon and their partners never noticed. They were even known to send those lost back, only every once in a while. It was hard to say who the figures were._

_When they asked the digimon partners, they feigned innocence. Of course no one could be living under the tunnels. The digimon, when the tunnels had been found, made sure they were cleared. It was under those tunnels now that bitterness lay. But still, they often returned the ones lost._

Taichi woke up in a sweat, the words circling in his head. It's stiffling in the room and he can't make out where he was. There's a dampness of sweat on the sheets and, when he hears footsteps, he wants to jump out of bed and figure out where he was.

"Yagami, sir,"

"What time...?" Taichi asked, sitting up in the bed and pressing a hand to his forehead. "I believe I had a terrible dream."

"Of course sire, but the meeting is soon. You must be prepared to greet those of the other houses. You have overslept, as much as we dare allow you." The man said, stepping back. "We know it is a grevious day when you greet the other houses in place of your mother, but we must soldier on."

"My mother?" Taichi frowned, running a hand through his hair and his gaze snaps around the room. "Of course," he said, getting up.

"Did the drought not help you sleep?" The man inquired.

"No, it..." He couldn't think past waking up that morning. He couldn't remember, and that missing piece scared him. "What day is it?"

"Friday morning sir," the man explained. "We've been worried that you wouldn't come back."

"I wouldn't come back?" Taichi raised a hand, feeling the bump on his forehead with a grimace.

"Your horse was spooked and ran into the woods." The man explained, glancing over his shoulder. "We were concerned, but a young teenager returned you to us."

"Right, in the woods." Taichi said, it made sense. He could remember being in the woods. He quickly got up, letting the blankets fall as he hurried to get dressed.

 

**********************

BONUS NOTES:

Idea: The digital monsters and humans once waged a war against each other, leaving both sides nearly destroyed. From that war, the Harmonious Ones offered the humans an agreement, in which each house would send a child between the age of eleven and thirteen once every twenty five years to be bonded with a digimon. Six would be selected and they would be trained, to become defenders of the realm. Often, their time is idle, spent helping digimon more than interacting with the houses they were originally born into.

Daisuke, Ken, Iori, Takeru, Hikari, and Miyako were an older set of children that were sent ot the digital realms to be paired with digimon.

Other six younger children. They are chosen at the age of twelve, in which the eliligable children* are taken to the Village fo new Beginnings. Only, into their fourth year of their duties, something disrupts the lands and causes the realms to plunge into darkness. -What is the darkness?(The darkenss swallowed four of the fifteen original houses, leaving eleven to defend the realms. Digimon turned evil? A faction of humans that turned away from the aide of digimon and found them to be demonic? Found a way to fight them?)

Only two current groups, usually up to four. The group prior to the younger kids bonding with their digimon mysteriously disappeared.

First Group: Learned to do everything on their own. Ken "went dark" after the first two years due to lack of guidance. Ended up fighting against him. Took several years before the others accepted him back in the core group.

Specialities of this group: Armour evolution; Jogress

 

Second Group: 11 houses are fighting against the four houses that disappeared. They are begging for the help of those bodned with digimon. On the other hand, there are darker digimon on the rise, left over from when the group prior to Daisuke's group disappeared and were unable to finish their own fight with the darkness.

Specialties of this group: Ultimate evolution; Crests*

*Will they have to find crests again?(or was that done in the four years to prior main story line?)

Main Info: 

Eleven Houses Left:

 

Hikari Yagami - Ranger/Mystic  
Apprentice: Taichi Yagami

Miyako Inoue - Coin Master/Cartographer  
Apprentice: Mimi Tachikawa

Daisuke Motomiya - Leader/Medic  
Apprentice: Jyo Kido

Iori Hida - Weapons Master/Historian  
Apprentice: Sora Takenouchi

Ken Ichijouji - Intelligence/Communication  
Apprentice: Koushiro Izumi

Takeru Takaishi - Mystic/Historian  
Apprentice: Yamato Ishida

 

Evolution:

Child - Adult - Perfect(Jogress(partner)) - Ultimate - AE: (Aspect)

Agumon - Greymon - MetalGreymon - WarGreymon   
Gabumon - Garurumon - WereGarurumon - MetalGarurumon   
Piyomon - Birdramon - Garudamon - Hououmon   
Palmon - Togemon - Lilymon - Rosemon   
Gomamon - Ikkakumon - Zudomon - Vikemon   
Tentomon - Kabuterimon - MegaKabuterimon - HerakleKabuterimon 

V-mon - XV-mon - Paildramon - Imperialdramon (W/ Stingmon) - Flamedramon(Courage) - Lighdramon(Friendship)  
Wormmon - Stingmon - Imperialdramon (W/ V-mon) - Pucchiemon(Kindness)  
Hawkmon - Aquilamon - Silphymon (W/Tailmon) - Holsemon(Love) - Shurimon(Purity)  
Armadimon - Ankylomon - Shakkoumon (W/ Angemon) - Digmon(Knowledge) - Submarimon(Sincerity)  
Patamon - Angemon - Shakkoumon (W/ Ankylomon) - Pegasmon(Hope)  
Plotmon - Tailmon - Siphymon (W/ Aquilamon) - Nefertimon(Light)

Pairings:  
N/A

Interesting ideas:

Holy Stones - The group prior to Daisuke's group could have been Taichi and the rest. They gave themselves fully for the holy stones, thus creating them. They had a seventh person(Someone from one of the four displaced houses?) that made up the seventh holy stone. Through this sacrifice, they were reborn, along with their digimon, to serve as the group after Daisuke's group.

Seventh person recalls these and are moving the four houses to strike out against the Harmenous ones? (Can totally make some dope OCs for this)

 

House monarchs that are dead:

Yagami  
Inoue  
Hida

 

The "dead" houses:

Kids:  
Shade, Dyceal, Astra - Three friends that are often found together.

Surry - Head of the four cast out houses; Works with the Dark Masters to take over the digital forest(?)


	14. Mythic Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He grew up with Wolves, learning their ways.
> 
> Now, when he helps a helpless kid, will he regret it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a bunch of ideas that involved Yamato and Wolves.

The air is quiet as you move through the forest. It's chilly, but the pelt was made to maintain and combat the cold. It had been years since you had seen anyone, years since you had been left behind.

You spin when you hear a tree branch crack, raising your fists and willing your power to form. You had been six the last time you had seen another human. You throw back your head and release a howl to alert the others.

"Is...someone there?"

You freeze when you hear the voice, tracking the sound back to the figure that had snapped the branch. You crouch down, resting your palm against the snow covered floor and wait. You tilt your head, accepting the answering howl as "wait, I'll be there".

"Hello?"

You watch the figure move and you track it, keeping as still as possible. You hear your heart thud in your chest and will your heartbeat to slow. Being tense now would not be good. You knew the thrill of the hunt, you knew how to track prey. But you had never seen anyone else like...you before. You didn't want to scare the person away.

"Sorry, I got lost."

You watch the figure stumble and wait. When you hear the faint steps of someone, you freeze. There's a breath on the back of your neck and you hear the figure take a sharp breath.

"I...what...the hell?" The kid says and you can see him. You feel the monster's breath down your neck, the legs framing your body.

"What are you doing here?" The monster growls, voice gravely and you see the kid take a step back.

"I-I got lost." The teenager says, eyes wide. "I am so sorry."

"Garuru, can't we help him?" You ask, not looking up at the large wolf. 

"There are rules," the wolf says and you glance at the teenager. You knew the rules. The wolf pack would eat whoever accidentally ended up in their forest. But this kid...

"He's a kid, normally they come looking for the pack." You argue and the wolf huffs down the back of your neck.

"I was out with my family, we have a cabin nearby. I heard about the mythical wolf pack, I wasn't trying to hunt you down." The kid says and you step forward, Garuru lunging forward and keeping you between his paws.

"You still wandered into our lands. Your life is forfiet." Garuru says.

"No!" You snap, turning to look up at the wolf. "He's a kid,"

"He's a danger to us." Garuru says, staring down at you. You throw your arms out, knowing that you coudln't do much if he decided to attack.

"I promise not to tell anyone what I saw here," the teenager says. "I really wasn't supposed to be out in the forest, just stay near the home. But..."

"Can we make sure you'll be quiet?" You ask and you don't lok at the kid, keeping your eyes on the wolf.

"I won't tell anyone." The teenager says.

"Yamato," the wolf snarls and you know that you had pushed your luck further than you should have. "We will take him back to the caves, and decide what to do from there."

"Let him go home," you say, meeting the wolf's eyes.

"My decision," the wolf growls, "is final. He will go to the caves and that will be it. I will decide what to do with him there."

"I...please let me go home." The teenager says and you wince as Garuru leaps forward, knocking the teenager to the ground and holding him down with his paw.

"My decision is final." The monster comments. "Yamato,"

You wince at the anger in his voice. "If you don't come, it'll only get worse." You say, walking over to the teenager as Garuru took a step back, letting him up. You offer him a hand, and he takes it. The two of you climb up on Garuru's back and the wolf takes off. You can feel his anger radiating from his fur.

"Where...are we going?" The teenager asks, sitting in front of you.

"Home," you say, keeping your gaze in front of you. Garuru took the longer path. You took note of it. When you reach the caves, you see the others of the pack watching. Garuru drops you and the teenager off in the middle, bidding you to wait while he went to do something.

"Can...you talk to me?" The teenager asks and you turn to look at him. "Where are we?"

"We're home," you say, shoving your hands in your pockets. "What's your name?"

"Takeru," the kid says. "My family own a home near the woods. I was out, wandering and... Well, I saw something and I was curious. We have friends visiting and it got to be too much." Takeru shrugs.

"So, you went into the woods." You say flatly. "Don't you know it's dangerous to go wandering?"

"I learned that," he says after a moment. "Do you think I'll get to go home?"

You hesitate, watching the teenager and then offer him a shrug. You've kept your senses on Garuru, listening to the faint conversations that were taking place in the lower caves. "It's questionable, they might just kill you. They may keep you here. They're discussing it and if you shut up, I can hear better."

"You're in a great mood," Takeru grumbles and you see him sit down on the hard ground. You roll your eyes, closing them and focusing down. Living the the wolves had given you time to learn things and rely on more than just your physical senses.

"....Garuru?"

"Yes, I know, but he is a child." The wolf demon grumbles.

"This is not the first time." One grunts.

"The first time, he was young enough to understand that this could be kept a secret. Which means, this one will be upheld to the same promises. He was not looking to attack us. He was lost." Garuru grumbles.

"Must you keep bringing in strays?" A third wolf demon inquires. "If you kept to the boundries of killing those that wander, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I have a responsibility to uphold, and that is what I am doing. If you think that I am not doing it well enough, I will resign from my position. But, I will not kill defenseless children." Garuru growls.

"And if that defenseless child decides to tell the others that we are here?" The first wolf demon asks.

"I think we'll be fine." Garuru says after a moment. "The child smells of something, that I cannot quite understand. Angelic presence perhaps. It is something that has not walked this planet for many seasons."

"And we should just allow this child to live then?" The second wolf asks. "We are hunted, even by those that do not believe we exist. If we are hunted by one who knows, we are in danger. It is why Yamato was never allowed to leave."

"I will make sure he does not tell." Garuru growls.

You're pulled out of the conversation when Takeru yanks on your shoulder, eyes wide. "W-why are they staring at me like I'm some sort of meat?"

"Because they're talking about killing you. If they kill you, they'll eat you." You comment, turning to face Takeru. "Garuru has a soft spot for children. I doubt he'll be unable to convince them to not kill you."

"I....don't know what you mean by that sentence." Takeru says.

"He should be able to convince them to let you live. If he does that, you have to make sure that you don't tell anyone where we are, who we are. All of that." You say, staring into Takeru's eyes.

"I won't tell anyone." The boy says and you glance away, startled by the innocence in his eyes. You look up when you hear Garuru's steps.

"Yamato, kid." He says, lowering his head to look at both of you. "There has been a decision made."

"What is it?" You ask, keeping your face a mask.

"We will be taking him home in the morning. I will escort you to the border. And you, Yamato, will be taking him to his house. This way, we know where he lives and... Yamato is the only one able to keep an eye on him while blending in." Garuru grumbles.

"Are you sure that'll be okay?" You ask, your gaze meeting Garuru's.

"It is the compromise that we came to. You will be checking up on him once a month, while he is still in the area. Whatever lie you tell them, make sure that it is believable." Garuru says. "We are leaving first thing in the morning. He will be staying with us." Garuru turns and you follow him, Takeru trailing behind with wide eyes. You see several younger wolf members look out from various caves, keeping a wary eye on you all.

"Can...I ask a question?" Takeru asks and you glance at him.

"You can ask, there may not be an answer." Garuru responds.

"We're all part of the wolf pack. You're said to be legends, peace keepers....why do people want to hunt you down?" Takeru asks and you glance at Garuru, watching him freeze just seconds after stepping into your shared space.

"For our pelts," you say, Garuru flopping down on his nest and snoring.

"Don't let your chatter keep you up all night. If you aren't up when the sun rises, I will wake you up myself." The wolf warns and you snort. If anything, you would have to wake him up.

Takeru doesn't speak until you hear the wolf snoring, and you nearly jump when he moves to sit next to you. "If you're human, why are you here?"

You stare at him, cocking an eyebrow. "What makes you thnk I'm human?" You ask.

"You're not a wolf," he points out and you shift, frowning at him.

"No, I'm not." You say after a moment. "I was found when I was young, and Garuru petitioned to raise me. He took me in, saved my life. I..." You hesitate, glancing towards the wolf as you take off the pelt and put on the clothes that you had scrounged for yourself.

"Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if you had been raised in the human world?" Takeru asks.

"What I've seen of humans, I really don't want to." You comment. "I like it here. But now I get to play babysitter to make sure you don't tell. It would have been easier if they just killed you."

"You don't mean that...do you?" Takeru asks and you glower at him, rolling over and pulling the pelt over your head. You ignore Takeru's attempts to continue the conversation and are greatful when you slip into a deep sleep.

*****

"Garuru, come on, it's time to get up." You murmur, shaking the wolf's shoulder.

"Are you sure that you should be doing this?" Takeru asks, eyeing the wolf. "What if he gets angry?"

"He won't be angry. He said that were leaving at sunrise, and now he's not up. We either get him up, or we walk. It would be about a two day walk. The others will be upset if you are still here when they wake up. GARURU!" You shove the wolf's shoulder once more, voice loud.

"What?" The wolf snaps, opening an eye. "Ah, fuck, let's get going then." The wolf gets to his feet, the three of you leaving the cave. You and Takeru get on his back, the wolf taking off. Takeru grips at the fur in front of him and you lean back, enjoying the wind through your hair.

"Here,"

Garuru stops shortly after where you had found Takeru in the clearing.

"How much further is to your home?" You ask when Garuru lays down in the clearing, letting you off. You watch as Takeru offers you a shrug.

"I got lost, so I don't know." He says and you feel your eyebrow twitch. Already, you're walking into the forest. You're wearing ill fitting clothing, the only you could find in the cave village that was passable for what you were planning on doing.

"You....right." You say, taking a breath and smelling the air. You wish you had the pelt Garuru made you, or that you weren't venturing into the unknown. You glance backwards to the clearing, beginning to take a straighter path based on smells.

"Where are we headed?" Takeru asks after an hour of walking. You glance back at him, slwoing your pace when you notice just how tired he looks.

"Back to the human...what word would you use?" You ask.

"Town," Takeru supplies. "But this doesn't look like any way I came."

You glance at him, taking a deeper smell of the surrounding areas. It smells strongly of Takeru and you study him from the corner of your eye. "You're limping, is your ankle okay?" You ask after a moment.

"Er, what?" He asks, glancing down. You pause, kneeling to look at the ankle.

"May I?" You ask, holding your hand out. When he nods his permission, you touch it, feeling the swelling and pressing down on it. you hear him let out a small gasp and your gaze darts up to him. "If it was hurting, why didn't you tell me?" You ask.

"I didn't want to slow you down." He says, his gaze sliding away from you.

"I can carry you," you say, moving to offer him your back. "Climb on,"

Takeru huffs a sigh but clambers onto your back and you feel his hands wrap around your neck. You stand up, adjusting his weight and continuing on.

"Am I really going to get to see you after this?" Takeru asks.

"Hmm?" You frown. "If that's what the council wants me to do, then I will uphold their wishes." You say with a shrug. "They want me to keep an eye on you, meet up with you once a month. I'll do it."

"Why?" He asks and you take a moment, smelling the air to judge the best path, correcting your course.

"Because they're my family. I wouldn't disobey them." You shrug. "They are all I have."

"You're human," Takeru points out.

"I have been raised by the mythic wolves since I am old enough to remember. They are more my family than whatever family I had when I was abandoned. This way," you shift into a jog, feeling Takeru's grip tighten. "Do you care for your family?"

"Yes," he says finally.

"Is there anything you wouldn't do for them?" You ask.

"There are things, but that's more moral issues than... I suppose what you mean is no, there is nothing I would not do for them, as long as they do not go against my morals." Takeru says.

You frown, shaking your head. "I kill for the pack. I kill those that would kill us in turn. There are things I do that humans would do, if they were put in the situations that I am in. Everything I do, I do for the pack. Even if it means checking up on you once a month."

"I..." He frowns, shaking his head. "I guess?" He says, sounding more of a question than anything.

"You wouldn't understand unless you were placed in the same situation that I was in. Just let it be." You suggest, glancing up when you hear footsteps. You turn your body, heading towards the voice.

"Takeru!"

You wince as an asortment of smells that hit you when you step into a clearing. Up ahead, you can see the cabin. It makes you nauseous when you see someone turn to look at you.

"TAKERU!" The teenager says and you kneel down to let him off.

"Get your ankle looked at." You suggest, shoving your hands in your pockets and standing up once Takeru is down. He grimaces as he sets weight on his ankle, watching you.

"Come meet my family," he suggests, turning his attention to the other teenager. "Hikari," he says, nodding at the figure.

"Where have you been?" Hikari demands, gaze landing on you. "And who is this?"

"I-" Takeru begins.

"My family and I found him wandering in the woods. We let him stay with us last night, and I brought him back home." You say, shooting Takeru a glance. "You may want to get his ankle looked at. It seems to be sprained,"

"And who are you?" Hikari asks and you meet the figures gaze.

"Yamato," you say after a moment. "I'll be back later to check up on him." You say.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Hikari suggests and Takeru gives the other a look of disbelief.

"I'm sure my father is waiting for me." You say, shaking your head. "I should be headed back sooner rather than later."

"But you were so nice as to keep an eye out for Takeru. Surely your father will be okay with you being late?" Hikari asks. "And it's almost dark, there are wolves out there."

"No, really, I'll be okay." You say and Takeru grins at you.

"Yes, you and your family were so kind as to host me for the night, please stay with us tonight." Takeru says. "It's nearly night fall as it is, surely your parents wouldn't want you wandering around after dark in the woods?"

"I heard wolves last night too," Hikari says.

"Fine, just...give me a moment." You say, stepping backwards.

"Hikari, have you-fuck, you look like shit Takeru." You freeze when you hear a third voice, glancing over your shoulder to see a dark haired teenager coming out of the woods. "I'm glad you're back." He adds, resting a hand on Takeru's shoulder.

You take another step back, turning and running into the woods. You take a breath, scrambling up a tree and cupping your hands around your mouth and let out a single howl. 'I'll be back come morning' was the meaning. You tilt your head, straining to hear a response and smile when you hear Garuru's wailing return. 'Be safe, I'll be here.'

You scramble down the tree, shoving your hands in the pockets of the pants and return to the three startled teenagers. "Yeah, I guess the wolves are active tonight..." You hear another answering call to Garuru's call and roll your eyes. You see Takeru stare you down and you offer him a shrug.

"His ankle may be sprained, so you might want to... I don't know, keep him off it?" You suggest and Takeru glowers at you.

"Come on, we'll go inside and you can meet our parents." Hikari suggests, waving you in.

"You're....all related?" You ask.

"My father and their mother got married about two years ago." Takeru says and you hesitantly follow them into the house. It smells weird and you wonder, briefly, if you would be used to the smell if you had grown up with humans. The thought is put out of your mind when you hear more howls, someone signaling that food had been caught.

"They sound angry," Hiakri says, the other teenager glancing out the window.

"Maybe they're looking for human siblings to eat." He grins.

"They caught prey," you mutter, glancing at the door as Takeru shut it behidn him. He's leaning against the wall and you see his face going pale. You flinch when the lights flick on, looking at them.

"Never see light before?" The teenager asks and you shrug.

"My family and I live a....simple life. Nothing fancy," you say with a shrug. "And really, I'll be okay to go home after dark."

"Not with how hungry the wolves sound." Hikari says. "This is my older brother, Taichi," they add, gesturing to Taichi.

"Nice to meet you, what's your name?" Taichi asks.

"Yamato," you say after a moment.

"Takeru," you shift when you hear a woman's voice, glancing as she comes out of the back. "Good to see that you are back home. What happened to you?"

"I got lost in the woods and Yamato here helped me." Takeru says, sitting down in a chair. You glance around the room, wondering what everything was.

"I see, what do we owe you for taking such good care of my son?" Thewoman asks and you glance up at her, shaking your head.

"Just making sure that he got home okay." You say with what you hoped was a polite smile.

"Will you be staying for dinner?" She asks.

"Taichi and Hikari invited him to stay the night. He lives deeper in the woods and the wolves are on the prowl." Takeru says, adjusting himself to prop his leg up on another chair.

"How...nice of them," She says, glancing at the other two children. "I'll have dinner out soon. Do you have any food restrictions Yamato?"

"No, I don't." You say, taking a deep breath and nearly gagging when you smell something rotten. YOu plaster on another smile, taking a seat.

"You can relax ya know." Taichi says, glancing at you and you shrug. "It's like you've never been in a kitchen before." He jokes.

"We do a lot of cooking over camp fires." You say, glancing at Takeru.

"You can share my room tonight," Takeru says. "Hey, you two, why don't you see if your mom needs help?"

"Are you just trying to get alone with your mysterious rescuer?" Taichi jokes.

"Maybe," Takeru says, sticking out his tongue and you follow the back and forth. Taichi holds up his hands, relenting and Hikari follows him. You hear a door shut and turn to look at Takeru.

"You've never been in a house before, have you?" He asks.

"I was abandoned by my parents." You say flatly. "If I did live in a house, I don't remember it."

"How old were you?" He asks.

"Three or four," you say after a moment. "I've been with the wolves for...thirteen full seasons now."

"Thirteen years?" He translates and you mentally sigh but nod. "I can tell them that you left, if you want me to. I doubt they'll be upset that you did. They can't really be anyway."

"They're you're pack." You say with a shrug. "They want repay me for what I did, let them. Garuru knows I will home tomrorow morning."

"Is he...okay with that?" Takeru asks.

"They need to get used to my presence." You say with a shrug. "He needs to get used to my not being there for a day or so, if this is to be the arrangment."

"I...see," he says after a moment. "Do you find this as an annoyance?"

"Yes," you say simply, glancing around the house. "I have never been in such...strange confinments."

"I'm sure human beds will be a delight then." Taichi says, coming back into the room.

"Have you been listening this entire time?" Takeru demands.

"Nope," Taichi says, raising his hands when he sees the glare that you give him. "Just the very last bit, I swear."

"Good," you mutter, glancing at the table and tracing wood patterns idly.

"So....do you actually live in the woods?" Taichi asks, sitting across from you.

"Yeah," you say slowly. "It's a peaceful life." You lie.

"Where do you get food?" He asks.

"Hunting, mostly, we have a garden as well." You say with a shrug. You see Hikari join you after a moment and you shift, trying to think of them as some of the younger pups you were sometimes in charge of keeping an eye on. The thought makes you chuckle, and you can't really picture them being part of the pack.

"Do you ever go into town?" Taichi asks.

"No, but I will be stopping by to keep an eye on Takeru," you say with a shrug. "I would hate for him to get lose in the woods again."

"I wouldn't do it again." Takeru grumbles and you see Taichi roll his eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder if you do it on purpose." He comments and Hikari sighs.

"Sometimes they fight like cats and dogs. You have to pardon Taichi's rude attitude. We're still adjusting to living together." Hikari says, flashing you a smile. "I do appreciate the help for bringing Takeru home. Perhaps we can offer your family something?"

"No, that's okay." You say, closing your mouth when the woman brings out several dishes. "Taichi, will you set the table please?" She asks and the boy gets up, doing as asked. "I want to thank you again for taking care of Takeru last night." The woman says. "I've heard such terrible rumors about the wolves in the area. I was afraid he had gotten hurt."

"The wolves aren't an issue if you don't hurt them first." You say, glancing over at her. "Just...make sure you stay clear of their territory boundaries. You're pretty near one of the boundaries. I can...mark out the area, if you think that would be helpful?"

"That would be nice." The woman says, Taichi setting plates down in front of everyone. You look at the plates, glancing at Takeru. He offers you half shrug, hiding a smile behind his face as the woman dished up food for everyone. You take a moment to watch them eat, picking up the utensiles and slowly eating.

*****

"Hey, do you have a moment?"

You glance towards the kid, turning and looking at him. "Taichi, right?" You ask.

"Yeah, that's me." He says with a smile. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Why?" You ask, shoulders hunched. You hadn't been able to sleep that night and you feel exhausted now that it's morning.

"Because, I like going for walks early in the morning and you look like you want to jump out of your skin." Taichi says, gesturing towards the door. "And you're staring at the window like you're in a jail cell."

"Sure," you say after a moment, getting off the couch and following Taichi outside.

"So, what does your family do?" Taichi asks as you look up at the early morning light.

"What do we do?" You frown, pondering over the question.

"Yeah, like... You all live in the woods, right?" Taichi asks and you nod. "So, are you hunters?"

"Something like that." You say after a moment. "I suppose...guardians of the forest may be another way to put it."

"That's pretty cool. You help people who are lost then?" He asks.

"Yeah," you say with a faint nod.

"Ever come across any giant wolves?" Taichi asks and you frown at him.

"Giant...wolves?" You question.

"I heard about a myth. See, we just moved into town. My mother and stepfather thought a new start would be good for all of us kids. Something about our old home havng been...not great. But that's a story for another time. Anyway, when I went to town, there was a man there that told Takeru, Hikari, and I about this story..." He pauses, making sure you're listening.

"Well, are you going to share it?" You ask after the pause lengthens, growing anxious.

"Right. Long ago, there were a family, I think. It's been a couple weeks since I've heard it, so please bear with me. This family was said to have magic powers. They were consorts, I think, of demons. And the demons they dealed with gave them the ability to shift. They became demonic wolves, haunting through the forests with nothing other than the thought of wanting to kill anyone that stepped onto their lands. The town folk forgot about these wolves, and the wolf pack hated being ignored. So, they demanded a sacrifice of a human child once every year. This would be given to them on the shortest day of the year, to keep the pack's hunger from being overrun." Taichi says, grinning at you.

You roll your eyes, hands in your pockets. "My family has a story of a similar pack of wolves. Only, these wolves were meant to be peace keepers. They are demons, yes, but they are not the kind that demand blood and sacrifice. They seek peace, and only harbor the desire to keep their lands free from the taint of humans. We live off the land, and thus we would be left in peace by the mythic wolves. Humans, out here," you pause and gesture towards the town, "they are consumed by a greed that will never be fullfilled. They push the spirits and demons to the brink of disaster and the demons and spirits fight back. They fight to protect the land that is on the brink of destruction because human greed demands more and more with every passing second that they walk the earth."

"But there are wolves in the forest." Taichi says and you resist the urge to smack him as you nod.

"Yes, there are wolves in the forest. But I will let you in on a secret. If you leave the forest and the wolves alone, they will leave you alone. I already offered to put up the boundary line for your mother. Just don't cross it and you'll be fine." You say, shaking your head as Taichi looks up at you with wide eyes.

"Are they the mythic wolves that everyone always talks about here?" He asks, placing a hand on your arm and tugging on it. "Have you seen them? Are they really larger than regular wolves?"

"I-" you hesitate, trying to understand the onslaught of questions. You understand that lying is bad, but you also understand that lying is necissary. "Yes, there are wolves. I have seen wolves, the mythic wolves are just a story." You say after a moment.

"Oh, I...guess." Taichi says with a sigh.

"Why are you interested in them?" You ask and Taichi offers you a shrug.

"I have an interest in the unknowable." He says after a moment. "Since I was younger, I always that there was more to the world. I thought, since we finally left the big city, that maybe I could find something interesting out in the country side. Well, I guess Takeru did find something interesting. I mean someone. I find you interesting, only because I can't fathom how you and your family live like you do." 

"So you're seeking an adventure?" You say with a raised eyebrow, taking a step back. He had let go of your arm, but he still felt too close to you for your comfort.

"Something like that, I guess." He says with a sigh. "Sometimes, I wondered if there was something more that I was meant to be doing. But instead, I got this boring life."

"I don't know if you're going to find any adventures out here." You say aftera moment. And almost, you want to offer him to come see the wolves. But you knew that Garuru would be blamed for your lapse of judgement. "Look, I really do need to go home. I was waiting to see if Takeru was feeling better after a night in his own home, but I have a lot of ground to cover..."

"Will we see you again?" Taichi asks.

"Yeah, I'll come by again. I'll even keep an eye out for your mythic wolves. If I see them, I'll let you know." You say. The night had been strange, but you felt like you had belonged there. And, for the first time, you wonder what it would have been like to grow up in a home like this. You bid goodbye to Taichi, the teenager offering you food though you declined.

It takes you another twenty minutes to get out of there, Takeru having come out when he heard voices. He looked upset that you were leaving so soon, but he understood. The three of you meandered a bit longer before you had finally left, hearing a distant howl.

"Be safe," Taichi calls and you nod, waving at them before disappearing into the woods.

*****

"Okay, real talk Takeru, what happened?" You turn on your step brother, raising an eyebrow. "You disappear for a day, your father is frantic, and then you reappear with mysterious forest boy who..."

"Do you have a crush?" Takeru asks, turning to look at you with a smirk on his face.

"I do not have a crush." You say, crossing your arms. "No, but really, what happened?"

"He found me lost in the woods. Him and his parent took me back to their house for the night. They made sure I was safe, then brought me back home." Takeru sighs. "There is nothing else to tell you."

"I don't believe you." You say after a moment, eyeing him up and down.

"Because....?" Takeru questions.

"Angemon," you say after a moment.

"Ah," he frowns. "Did you see him around last night?"

"He looks very displeased." You say with a nod. "He's your guardian spirit, angel...what is he exactly again?"

"A guardian angel," Takeru says with a sigh. "You're the one that can see him. Why is he displeased?"

"He's your guardian angel, why is he displeased?" You shoot back. "Okay, so, that aside... He didn't look fully human, ya know? I can't pinpoint it exactly, but there is something about him.... He didn't even know that water could be run through pipes."

"He lived in a cave, what more can I tell you?" Takeru asks, glancing over his shoulder. "Pata...?"

You glance at the angel that you could see hovering over Takeru's side, watching his wings flutter. "He's unhappy, but will go along with what you want." You say after a moment, turning your attention back to Takeru. "Hiroaki is still away on business, mom was going to tell him, but Hikari and I convinced her not to."

"Why didn't Gato come looking for me if you were so worried?" Takeru asks.

"Because Hikari didn't want Gato wandering away. We knew that Pata was with you. If he truly thought that you were in trouble, he would have come fetch us, rules be damned?" You say, frowning at the last statement. "You didn't get into trouble while you were gone, did you?"

"No, I did not get into trouble, other than spraining my ankle. Which feels better actually." Takeru says and you nod. You glance over your shoulder, wishing that you had followed Yamato, if only to see where he had gone.

"Say...think you could find the way back to Yamato's home?" Taichi asks.

"No, and I wouldn't show you, even if I could." Takeru sighs and your gaze flicks to the angel at Takeru's side, watching the guardian slowly shake his head at the comment.

"Fine," you say after a moment. "But, just so you know, I think that you're lying."

"Sorry," Takeru says with a grimace. "Look, I'm going to go make breakfast. You interested in anything specific? Or should I just make enough to feed your overinflated ego as well as your stomach?"

"I do not have an over inflated ego!" You say, staring at your step-brother.

"I agree with Takeru." Hikari says and you stick your tongue out at both of them, following them inside and glancing over your shoulder.

******

"Garuru," you say, meeting up with the wolf and hugging him when he lowered his head. "I missed you," you breathe.

"It was only for a night," the wolf murmurs, laying down so you could climb on his back. You offer him a small thank you, situating yourself comfortably.

"I know, but it felt weird being around other people." You say after a moment. "I could hear the town, and.... Do I really have to go back?" You say after a moment.

"Yes, you do. Until we can be sure that Takeru will not share the secret with anyone." Garuru says and begins to walk towards the cave system.

"Why did you save me?" You say after a moment, enjoying the feeling of being back under trees. It hadn't hit you until now just how much you had missed it.

"I thought you were a sign." Garuru says, having considered the question. "It was the day after my mate had been killed by hunters. I found you, in the clearing that you found the other human. I thought it was a sign from my mate, to take you in and move on. The council was livid with me. You were, two, maybe three years old at the time. Just beginning to walk. They insisted that I return you to the edge of the forest, but I couldn't have left you to die. It was winter..."

"It was snowing when you found me?" You ask, eyes closed. You remember flashes of your very early years. There may have been human voices, mixed in every once in a while with the familiar voices of those gravely wolf voices.

"The first snow fall of the season." Garuru rumbles. "I was afraid you may have died, but I nursed you back to good health. And soon, you were running around with the other youngsters and the council agreed to allow me to keep you."

"Why didn't you take another mate?" You ask.

"We mate for life." Garuru says simply. "Maybe I was young enough to take another mate. We hadn't been together long, but it strikes deep when someone you care for dies. But, after I started raising you, I did not have the time to think about. Now, it's been too long and that connection is truly gone now."

"I'm sorry," you murmur after a moment.

"Don't be," Garuru says turning his head to touch your arm. "You are the best that I could have ever imagined. I am proud to call you my son Yamato."

You lean forward, wrapping your arms around the wolf's neck and nuzzling him.

"Besides, the pelt you wear is my gift of family to you. Made from the pelt of my dead mate. That is something that I cannot take back. We are bonded, you and I." Garuru murmurs and you nod. "I love you,"

"Love you too dad." You say, relaxing in his fur.

*****

You listen to the surrounding forest, gaze glancing towards the trees. You're enjoying the warm month. And, as you listen to the sounds around you, you freeze when you hear a branch crack.

"Hello?" You call out, turning in a slow circle. You're on the safe side of the boundary that had come up shortly after the mysterious friend of Takeru's had left that night. You reach out with your senses, feeling them brush against something foreign. The urge to attack it makes you withdraw, not wanting to harm someone but...

"What is that?"

Your eyes snap open and you look at Yamato standing on the other side of the boundary, a frown on his features as he presses his hand against the rope.

"The boundary?" You ask, glancing up at him.

"Yes," he says. "It does not....it feels different from when I put it up."

"I do some sort of magick work." You say sheepishly, rubbing the back of your head and walking over to him. "I embued the physical boundary you put up with my energy to ensure that no one walked through it on accident. I don't want my siblings to be getting hurt and lost now."

"Interesting," he says, taking a step over the line and shaking his head like a dog shaking off water. "Is that why you are interested in the mythic beasts?"

"Something like that," you say, looking over Yamato. Even to your untrained eye, you could sense something was off about him, but you aren't quite able to put your finger on it. "How have you been?"

"Fine," he says with a small shrug and you sense the unease and tension. You have him towards the house, glancing at him curiously. "Yourself?" He asks.

"I'm doing great, thanks for asking." You say with a smile. "Say, you don't happen to have a guardian spirit, do you?"

"No," he says with a shake of his head. "Is that something else you can see?"

"Strange, most people have a guardian spirit." You frown, looking him over. "I don't really ask, it's considered rude to. I was just curious."

"Maybe it's because my guardian was such a great parent, I never had the need of a guardian spirit." Yamato suggests, but you can see him frown when he thinks you aren't looking.

"I suppose it could be something like that." You say with a nod. "It's not unheard of to not have a guardian spirit, just...rare."

"I see," Yamato says, shifting from foot to foot. "So...."

"Are you here for a reason?" You ask and Yamato shrugs.

"Guess I was just looking to see how Takeru was doing." Yamato says finally, shoving his hands in his pockets. You almost feel disheartened that he had come looking only for Takeru.

"He's in town with Hikari and mom currently. They should be back soon." He says and smiles at you. "In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you?"

"I...don't think so." He says, keeping his gaze on you. "Can I hang out here for a while?"

"Need an escape from family for a bit?" You ask.

"I suppose it's something like that. Though, there is probably more to it than you would understand. And more than I am willing to explain. Tell me, how did you learn about all the energy stuff?" Yamato asks.

You take the time to consider his question, considering the possibilities that you can offer him before you finally shrug and go with what you know best. "Seeing spirits was something that I could always do, even when I was younger. It was a lot less refined than it is now however." You explain. "When my father died, he visited one last time. I was about seven or eight, so I told mom what I saw. She didn't believe me, thought that maybe I was saying those things because I missed him. I proved her wrong when I said something that only he knew. He told me to say it in fact. So, when she found out about that gift, she took me to someone to see if there was anything we could do.

"Then ended up teaching me to hone my gift. They passed just last year, before mom got married. I miss her a lot, she was a great teacher. But, if I try hard enough, I can see her when I'm sleeping. It's not the best way to communicate with someone, but it works well enough. She was telling me about different mythical beasts before she past. We had gone over the guardians of the forest, and they always fascinated me. Japan has such a rich history with the various demons, religions, and spirits that used to flock in our lands.

"The spirit guardians that I see most often has a connection to the family, so to speak. A sort of guardian that has been past down. My sibling and Takeru both have angel guardians. I, as far as I am aware, do not actually have a guardian. At least, if I do, I have never seen them around." You take a breath, Yamato keeping his eyes on you.

"Does your sibling show any of these same abilities?" Yamato asks and you shake your head.

"If Hikari does, they have never mentioned it." You explain. "Mom hasn't been able to find anyone in our family with abilities the same that I showed. She thought maybe it might have been through father's side, but we haven't seen any of our father's relatives since he died. What about you, your family?"

"I only have one parent. He raised me since I was three." Yamato says after a moment.

"So you're adopted then?" You ask, curious about the stranger.

"In a sense, yes. I don't remember my birth parents. My father's partner died a day before he took me in. He thought it was a sign of sorts." Yamato explains, and he seems defensive as he talks.

"Sorry," you say, glancing away. "I don't mean to pry."

"It's okay, family life is....a touchy subject for me." He says after a moment and you nod in agreement. "It's not a bad family, by no means. It's just hard to explain."

"That's good to hear." You say, scuffing the ground with your shoe.

Yamato tilts his head, listening to the sounds of the forest. "Do you ever think that humans could return to the way things were? Give up everything they have, and return to the simplier life?"

"No," You say, glancing at him. "Where are these questions from?"

"I never got a chance to see what life was like beyond the forest. I think I'm happier there." Yamato says and you glance at him, surprised.

"Yamato, Taichi!"

You turn when you hear Takeru, glancing over his shoulder and nodding at the spirit before glancing once more at Yamato. "How was the trip to town?" You ask, turning and keeping your gaze on your step brother.

"It went okay. Got everything we needed and quite a few things we didn't need, I like to think." Takeru says, shrugging. "Hey Yamato, how are you doing?"

"Fine," he says and you watch Takeru's guardian flit over the barrier, offering you a raised eyebrow. You shrug in response, gesturing towards Yamato as if to explain. "You have a strange brother,"

You glance towards where the two are talking about you, pushing down a retort as Takeru laughs.

"He's a good person though. How is Garuru?" Takeru asks.

"Fine," Yamato says and the two walk away. You glance at where Pata is standing by the barrier and lower your voice.

"Got any suggestions as to what he is?" You ask, gesturing vaguely to where Takeru and Yamato were walking.

_He's not raised by humans,_

You glance at the spirit, frowning. "Then what is he raised by?"

_That is an answer I am unable to give._

You sigh as the spirit flies off after Takeru, jumping when you feel Hikari's hand on your shoulder.

"Talking to the angels again?" They ask, offering you a smile and you shrug.

"I was hoping Pata would offer some insight as to what happened to Takeru, but he's still being quiet as ever on the subject. Speaking off, it seems your own spirit isn't around." You say, glancing towards your sibling. "Gato doing okay?"

"Yes, I just sent her to look something up for me." Hikari says with a shrug. "Mom wants your help with something in the kitchen. Should I tell her you're busy, or let her know you'll be there in a couple of minutes?"

"I'll walk with you." You say, glancing once more towards the barrier and frowning. "When you see Gato, I have a question or two I want to ask her. Will you send her my way?"

"You know I can't see her." Hikari says and you resist the urge to roll your eyes. "But, I will send her your way when she's back."

"Thank you," you say and turn to head inside.

*****

"So..." You shift, glancing over your shoulder to Hikari and Taichi.

"I plan on leaving before nightfall," Yamato says. "There are things I have to get done back at home tonight."

"Ah, I see." You shift from foot to foot, frowning. "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about where I went. I do plan on keeping that promise."

"Your brother, what's his deal with seeing spirits?" Yamato asks and you frown.

"He has some kind of old energy running through him. I'm not entirely sure of the whole thing myself but..." You shrug. "It becomes useful when we need to talk to him and he's not in the area. I can send my spirit guardian out to pass along a message. I know it was something that he worried about telling other people. I'm shocked he would tell you."

"He put up a barrier around the boundary line I put up." Yamato says and you glance over to where you could still see the rope boundary line. "I'm not an energy worker myself, but I know enough to be able to feel it."

"Is that something the wolves taught you?" You ask.

"Yeah, it's something they taught me alright." Yamato says. "They taught me a lot of things, that I wouldn't have known if it weren't for them. Some things, I wish they had left alone."

"Like?" You ask.

"Being able to tell when someone is close to death. That's just something I can do. Maybe I had inert energetic power that was awakened when I joined the wolves. It's something that can be taught. Even what Taichi does, naturally, can be taught if you have the patience and the right teacher. It's learning how to see, in a sense. There are different abilities, scales that people can fall on. I would be one to work with death, so to speak. See, I'm not exactly human, not after living among the wolves. It's one of the reasons this," he gestures towards the cabin and then towards where the city lies, "drives me crazy when I am here, even for the short amount of time that I am. It's not...natural."

"And if you had been raised here?" You challenge.

"It would probably be different." Yamato agrees. "But it's not something that I would want to look into. I'm happy where I'm at."

"I see," you frown, trying to make his words mean anything to you. But, you don't understand what he actually means.

Yamato gives you a smile, showing off sharp teeth. "I think that you will keep your promise, but the council still wants me to make sure. And wants to make sure that you understand what will happen if anyone comes looking for us."

"What will happen?" You ask with a wary look over your shoulder.

"I kill you," Yamato shrugs. "The council is made up of three mythic wolves. Garuru, Yumiy, and Drael. Garuru is the newest to the council. There was much debate that he could even hold the position, because of his soft spot for children. The other two decided they needed a balance. Someone who would be able to argue against them and make them see points they wouldn't have before."

"Ah," You frown. "There are three to a council then?"

"Yes, Yumiy and Drael have been on the council for centuries. Garuru was made the third council member six years ago now?" Yamato says and you nod. The two of you fall into a comfortable silence as you walk around.

*****

"Yamato, will you be staying the night?"

You glance up at the woman, shaking your head ever so slightly. "I have stuff that needs to be done come morning, so i'll be leaving shortly."

"Why don't you come stay with us for about a week next time you're around? The kids are still on summer break." She suggests and you glance towards Takeru.

"I'll have to see if that is something that my father would be willing to allow." You say finally, setting the fork down.

"Do you go to school?" Hikari asks and you glance at the younger teenager.

"No," you say after a moment and you see the woman frown. You shift in your seat, your gaze dropping to your plate.

"Hey mom," Taichi begins. "Do we have any desert?"

"No, we don't. I didn't have time to get anything." The woman sighs. "I am going to be meeting Hiroaki soon, will you four be okay on your own?" they say.

****

"Yamato, wait!"

You turn when you hear Taichi call you, shifting from foot to foot. It's your fourth month visiting and you were on your way out to head home.

"Yes Taichi?" You ask, stopping and turning to look at him.

"Why do you keep coming to check up on Takeru?" He asks.

"It's....why does it matter?" You ask, raising an eyebrow and looking at Taichi. "It shouldn't matter to you."

"But, I'm asking anyway." Taichi says, taking a step closer to you. You take a step back, trying to maintain distance.

"I don't have an answer that I can give you." You say finally. You feel your heart speed up as Taichi steps closer. Your back hits the wall and you twitch.

"Where's your home?" He asks and you want to scream.

You step to the side, moving past Taichi and waving Takeru down.

******

"Garuru?" You step into the clearing, looking for signs that the wolves were still around. During your walk, you hadn't heard anything the entire time you had been gone and you feel anxious.

"Here,"

You turn when you hear the faint voice, hurrying towards the sound.

"What happened?" You ask, kneeling down next to the giant wolf. "Garuru, can you tell me what happened?"

"They came, while you were gone." The wolf says, his eyes trained on you. "Yamato, you must understand-"

"I should have been there." You whisper, pressing your hands into the bleeding wounds on his side. "I could have helped you. I could have-"

"Yamato, no. You are only human." The wolf's body shudders underneath your hands and you shake your head. "You could have done nothing that we did not do as well. Please, let me spend the last moments of my life helping you."

"Helping me how?" You ask, pulling your hands away from the cut in his side, knowing it was pointless to try to staunch the wound.

"With my last power, I gift you the ability of the mythic wolves, Yamato. You are my son, if not by blood, by will. With this power, I gift you the ability to continue our legacy." He breathes, his breath growing shallow as he struggles. You wrap your arms around his neck, feeling the power run over you.

You close your eyes, nestled against Garuru's neck as the warmth seeps out of him. You clutch at him, listening to the sounds outside.

When you wake up several hours later, your head hurts and you feel the dried blood on your hands and clothes. You look over at Garuru's body, stiffly standing and resting a hand on his cheek.

"To the dirt you return, from the dirt you came." You whisper, leaning down and kissing his forehead.

"Do you really think I'll be given up that easily?"

You turn when you hear the voice, eyes going wide. "Garuru?" You whisper.

"A spirit, no more no less. I will guide you. Within you, you have my power. The ancient power of the mythic wolves. But, you need to leave this place. The monsters that did this will be back. If they find you..."

You still try to search for the spirit, try to find where he was. "I will go, but the bodies of everyone..."

"If they think someone has been moving them, tehy will be suspicious. You are the last of us Yamato. You must protect what I gave you."

"What did you give me?" You ask, finally stopping your searching. You're still kneeling in front of his body. Part of you thinks that you had gone crazy.

"You now hold the power of the mythic wolves Yamato. I gave you my essence. I gave you the ability to shift and become one of us. I will tell you how to use the powers, but get out of here Yamato."

You stand, feeling the stiffness in your body.

******

"Takeru!"

Your voice rings out of the clearing of the house. Your skin feels itchy and you burn with rage.

"TAKERU!"

"Yamato...?" A voice says and you turn quickly.

"Where is Takeru?" You demand, eyes blazing. "I need to speak with him."

"You're covered in blood, what happened?" Taichi asks and you let out a low growl. He raises his hand, taking a step back. You remember a day where he had tried to kiss you and your rage burns brighter.

"Where is Takeru?" You demand, voice harsh.

"He'll be back in a bit. He went for a walk, I don't know where to. What happened Yamato?" He rests his hand on your shoulders and you shove him off.

"Which way?" You ask and you look down blankly when he reaches out and grabs your wrist, holding you in place.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Please, tell me what happened." Taichi says and you shake your head, struggling to pull away. You feel yourself sway and the events of the day catch up to you.

****

"Do you know what happened?"

Takeru frowns at you, scratching the side of his head. "What happened?" He asks.

"Yamato showed up, covered in blood, demanding to talk with you." You say, hands in your pocket. "He's blacked out on the couch, but.... I guess we're lucky our parents are out for the day, otherwise they'd probably question it as much as I am. So, do you know what happened?"

"I went for a walk earlier this morning." Takeru says and you search for Pata. The angel glances off to the side and you hone in on it.

"What's different about Yamato?" You ask, looking at the spirit.

"There is a demonic presence," the spirit says after a moment. "Before, he seemed human, now he seems...." The angel trailed off, shaking his head.

"Taichi?"

Your gaze snaps back to Takeru, raising an eyebrow.

"You said Yamato was....covered in blood?" Takeru says and you nod.

"He's on the couch," you say and Takeru pushes past you.

*****

"Yamato?" You head into the living room, wincing when you see the figure on the couch. You duck into the kitchen, grabbing a bucket of water and several rags before walking back into the living room. You begin the process of wasching the blood off his hands and arms, looking for the source.

It's several minutes later that you notice the eyes on you. You nearly jump out of your skin when you feel him yank his arm out of your grasp.

"You were there," he hisses and you frown.

"What happened?" You ask, voice subdued.

"They're all dead." He snarls. "I left, and showed up at home. To find everyone dead. Did you tell anyone?"

"No!" You say, eyes wide. "What would I gain by telling anyone? It's been a year Yamato, if I didn't do it by now, I wouldn't do it at all."

"How did...how did they find them?" Yamato leans back, head on the arm of the couch.

"I don't know, but you can probably borrow some clothes and take a shower." You offer. "At least get the blood off. Dad will be home soon, and Yuuko will freak to see you like this."

"My family is dead." Yamato says, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. "I...what am I supposed to do? I've een with the wolves since I was three. I don't know any life but them."

"Yuuko likes you well enough. She would probably be willing to let you stay here for awhile. Tell her your family got into trouble and you can't go home." You suggest, standing up and taking the bucket of water and rag back into the kitchen. You jump when you feel Yamato's hand on your shoulder.

"We'll figure out what happened and help you get revenge." You offer. "Come on, I'll show you where the shower is." You bundle Yamato up the stairs, hearing the door open. His head snaps to the side and watches Taichi come in. You get Yamato into the bathroom, finding clothes between your's and Taichi's room that would fit him and running hands over your shoulder.

"So...is he doing okay?"

You turn to look at Taichi, slowly shaking your head. "His family was murdered, I don't think he'll be okay for at least a day. But-"

"Is that why he has a spirit guardian now?" Taichi interupts.

"He has one? I thought you said he didn't?" You frown.

"It's a white wolf with blue stripes. Doesn't like to be seen, won't actually talk to me. But hovers around Yamato like a worried mother." Taichi says. "Won't talk to me either. I tried while he was sleeping and got...growled at? He tried to bite me."

"I see," You frown. "I'll talk to Yamato, but I got him in the shower so..."

"Why does Yamato have a mythic wolf as a guardian?" Taichi asks.

"I-" You glance over your shoulder, hearing the shower still running. "When I got lost in the woods, he saved me from being killed by one of the wolf deamons in the forest. The wolf was named Garuru. He raised Yamato from a very young age. He came here every month to make sure I didn't tell anyone what I had seen. I wasn't going to tell anyone either."

"So you were keeping a secret for the better." Taichi runs a hand through his hair, huffing out a sigh. "I heard that someone had found a lair of wolf demons, but I didn't think anything of it."

"Where did you hear that from?" You ask.

"I have my ways." Taichi shrugs. "Damn, is there anything we can do to help him?"

"We'll have to wait and see." You glance up, shivering as you try to consider what the implications mean.

******

You turn off the water when it started running clear, grimacing when you step out of the shower. You change, grabbing your bag and pulling on the pelt for comfort before heading down the stairs.

You pause when you hear Taichi's voice, tugging the hood of the pelt down over your head further and stepping into where they could see you. Taichi looks up, eyes going wide and you grimace as Takeru gets up from his spot.

"Where are you going?" He asks and you shake your head.

"I have a duty to preform, so I will do it." You say with a shrug. "I am going to avenge my family."

"You don't even know who killed them though." Takeru protests.

"No, but I will find out who did it. And when I do, I will claim my revenge." You growl and you see Taichi frown.

"Sorry, the...spirit that's hanging around is shaking his head?" He says and you glance at your shoulder.

"What does he suggest then?" You ask, crossing your arms.

"That you learn how to use the powers given to you. That you are being rash and emotional. He wishes you would think it through, consider the options you have and take the time needed to grieve. Rushing into something to die would not be honoring the wolves. It would be sacrificing yourself and you would gain nothing out of it." Taichi says and you let out a small laugh.

"Of course he would," you say, pushing past them and sitting on the couch.

"Can I ask a question?" Taichi says and you glance at him.

"Wasn't that a question?" You shoot back. "But yes, feel free."

"Were you raised by the wolf demons?" Taichi asks.

"Yes," you say after a moment. "I was abandoned as a child. Garuru took me in. I lived with them for all of my known memories. There is nothing I remember other than them. To find them dead..." Your hands curl into fists and you glower at the door. "I will do as he asks."

"We'll talk to Hiroki and mom about you staying here. We can find a way to help you use your powers as well." Taichi offers and Takeru looks at him, startled.

"Fine," you say after a moment. "I'm going for a walk." You add, getting up and walking out of the house. You hear Taichi follow you, Takeru protesting and saying something. You turn your attention to Hikari, waving them down.

"Hello Yamato, nice pelt." Hikari says, glancing at you and you offer them a smile.

"It was a gift from my father." You say, glancing up at the sky. "Tell me, what do you think of the wolf demons that are said to haunt these woods?"

"They're misunderstood," Hikari says, getting up from where they had been kneeling. "I think there is a lot of things that haunt these woods that are misunderstood and humans want to give them no room to run. They destroy their areas that they lived in. They... They get hurt for the greed of humans. And they fight to defend what they have, which is not much."

"And people who kill them?" You ask.

"They deserve the fate that is given to them. Often humans don't know what they're doing." Hikari comments.

"And where did you learn to be so smart?" You ask, Hikari offering you a smile.

"I learn in my dreams. Taichi can see things, but I learn by listening to what they have to offer. He won't listen when he's asleep, so they come to me." Hikari smiles and you nod in agreement.

"There's a price to pay, isn't there?" You ask and Hikari raises an eyebrow. "A price to pay for the knowledge you gain."

"Yes," they say after a moment. "It means lack of sleep. It means there are things I learn that I cannot tell anyone. You know of the pain it is to keep a secret that only you can hold. You grew up beyond the humans means."

"Yeah, my family was killed yesterday." You say finally. "I do not know what I'm supposed to do with that information."

"I can make you something to help you sleep." Hikari says, gesturing towards the herb garden. "It will give you time to think as well."

"I would appreciate that." You say finally.

"I'll bring it in soon," they say and you turn to head back inside.

*****

Years later

*****

"Yamato?"

You turn when you hear your name, watching the figure approach you. You tip your head, sitting back and letting out a wolfish grin. It had been years since the death of your family and now....

"Hello Taichi," you say, shifting into your human form and stretching. You feel comforted by the pelt resting against your skin. Above you, the stars above you.

"I've come to see if you wanted to join me for awhile. You've been in the forest for about a year and a half now. I think it's time to come home."

"What's home, really?" You ask, shifting and glancing over your shoulder. You had come to the place of your childhood, spent the time needed.

"Come on Yamato," Taichi says, holding out a hand to you. "Takeru gave me the directions here." He adds and you snort. He was silent on all matters until Taichi wanted to find you.

"How many days did it take you to reach here?" You ask.

"Three," he says with a nod. "I was hoping you might give me a ride back." He gives you a sheepish grin and you let out a snort, shaking your head.

"I suppose I could," you say finally. "What do I get out of it if I lead you back through the woods though?" You tip your head to the side, hands clasped behind your back.

"A comfortable bed for the night?" Taichi offers.

"I am going somewhere tonight. In years, we will meet again, in a different way, a different life. I want you to remember me Taichi. And seek me out." You offer him a smile. "I will take you home. But after that, I am going to finish my duty. And, in another life, we will see each other again."

"Are you sure about that?" Taichi asks.

"I am never sure about anything." You admit.

"Then to another life." Taichi agrees.

 

**************************

You listen to the alarm go off and you grope blindly to turn it off. It's early in the morning, but you know that you had to be up. The fragments of dreams cling to you as you get ready, pulling on your uniform and grabbing your wallet. It's dark in the apartment and you enjoy it. In the other room, you can hear your brother groaning.

"Takeru, you up yet?" You call, a smirk on your face.

It had been him and you since you had turned sixteen and your parents had died.

"Do I have to go to school?" He grumples and you see him peering out from his bedroom, blinking at you tiredly.

"Yes, you do. Come on, it's your last year. You can even invite a friend over tonight if you want. I'll be home before you get back from school. We can have a party or something. You have friends, don't you?" You ask.

"I have more friends than you do." Takeru snorts.

"Thanks, it's not like I have a full time job supporting us or anything." You say, shaking your head as Takeru shuts the door. you hear him moving around and relax, glad that he was at least getting ready. You head out to your job, confident that Takeru would get to school on his own.

It's early when you enter the coffee shop. You don't mind the hours, you enjoy setting up in the mornings. You bid your boss good morning when he shows up, the man looking you over and beckoning you to the back.

"How can I help you sir?" You ask, shifting under his gaze as you take the offered seat.

"I have a proposition for you." He says finally. "i'm opening up a new location, it's a bit further out, but it would give you full time and a manager position. What do you say?"

You consider the option, nodding after a moment. "Would it include a pay raise?"

"Of course," he says with a small laugh. He leans forward, resting a hand on your leg. "I admire how you take care of your brother, Yamato."

You smile, accepting the advance. It was a dangerous game to play, but you knew it was needed, and something that you could offer in exchange.

****

"Good morning, may I get..."

You take down the order as the young man in front of you, repressing a yawn.

"And your number?"

You frown at him, shaking your head to clear it. "How about we start with names?" You suggest, arching an eyebrow as he gives you half grin.

"Taichi," he says, offering you his hand. "This may sounds cheesy, but I've known you before."

"You've known me before?" You ask, gaze darting to behind him. No one else was in the store, and you know your boss is in the back, taking a nap.

"Sounds cheesy, huh?" Taichi says with a laugh. "In a past life, if you can believe that."

"I'm not buying it. I had a lot of people tell me a lot of things to talk to me. But I think this is the first time that someone has told me that they believed in reincarnation." You comment. "If you want my number, you would have been better off just leaving it at that."

"It was worth a try." He says with a sigh, keeping his gaze on you. "Does the name 'Garuru' ring any bells?"

You arch an eyebrow, watching him before slowly shaking your head. "I suppose it sounds like a name I would have...known once, but for now it does not make any sense." You settle on finally.

"I wish I could offer any other explenation. But maybe we can exchange numbers?" He asks.

"I suppose, I'm Yamato." You say, grabbing a pen and scrawling your number down for Taichi. You hand it to him, turning and beginning to make his drink.

You feel his eyes on you as you make the drink, hearing the back room door open. You hand it over to Taichi when it's finished, flashing him a smile. "Thank you for your business." You say, watching him walk out of the building. You head off to break, pulling out your phone and looking at the messages.

/You headed home soon?/ - Takeru

/Thank you for the number/ - Unknown

You offer your phone a half smile, texting back.

/I look forward to finding more out about these supposed past lifes/ - Yamato

/I can tell you more./  
/How about over coffee tomorrow?/  
/If you're free that is./ - Taichi

You read over the messages, considering it and your schedule tomorrow.

/I'm free at noon./  
/Where do you want to meet?/ - Yamato

You set the phone to the side, pulling out a book that you had been reading. You pass the rest of the day in relative silence, greeting your coworkers when the come in and waving at Takeru when he hovers by the door, waiting for you to get off work. You're glad when the day is over, walking out to join him.

"My friend Hikari is coming over in a couple hours, is that still okay with you?" Takeru asks as you pull on your jacket and walk out of the coffee shop with him.

"Yeah, I'm fine by that. How was school?" You ask, shoving your hands in your pockets.

"It was good. I got to watch one of the soccer players make a fool of himself trying to impress Hikari." He says with a smile and you smile back at him.

"Would that be...Daisuke?" You ask.

"Yep, he's in over his head if he thinks-." Takeru cuts himself off, shaking his head. "Well, Hikari doesn't have an interest in him and told him, multiple times anyway."

"Do you still like Hikari?" You ask.

"No, I mean, as a friend, yeah, but not like that." He shrugs and you nod in agreement, listening to him talk. "I mean, Daisuke is nice to look at and all, but sometimes I wonder...."

"Are you interested in guys?" You ask, hands in your pockets. You could have sworn you told him that you would be to the house by now.

"Sometimes?" He says with a shrug. "I hadn't thought about it but there are a couple..."

"I don't care, whatever you choose Takeru," you say, glancing at him with a smile.

"Thanks," he says and the two of you walk on in silence. When you glance at your phone, you take note of the shop that Taichi suggests, texting him back an okay.

"Who you texting?" Takeru asks, trying to look over your shoulder.

"Someone I met at work," you say, shoving the phone back in your pocket.

"Oh? What's his name?" Takeru asks, jostling you with his elbow. You roll your eyes, letting out a snort.

"Why should I tell you?" You ask, glancing over at him.

"I'm asking because I'm polite and curious. You don't have friends Yamato." Takeru says, looking at you with a raised eyebrow. "I'm surprised that you're even talking to anyone."

"I have friends!" You protest. "Sora is a good friend of mmine."

"And when was the last time you talked to Sora?" He asks.

"Two days ago, I've been busy." you say with a shrug. "Look, when you become older, you'll understand what it means to be an adult and be busy."

"But I'm in high school, I don't have to worry about that yet." He says with a wave of his hand. "Unless it would be better for me to get a job that way you don't have to do everything yourself."

"No Takeru, I am not letting you get a job." You say, crossing your arms. "Besides, the boss is opening up a new shop and he asked me to be the manager of it. And it comes with a pay raise."

"That's good," Takeru says with a smile, but it falters after a moment. "Is it going to be okay?"

"Of course," you say with a shrug. "This just means we'll have more money." You pull out your phone when you hear it ding again, pulling it out.

/Please remember to come in early Saturday morning to discuss the plans for the new shop./ -Boss

You grimace, but respond, looking at the message thread between you and Taichi.

"Are you okay?"

You snap your gaze to Takeru, shaking your head. "I'm just tired, sorry."

/Hey, do you have a brother?/ - Taichi

You glance at the message, Takeru talking about his day as the two of you walked.

/Yeah, why?/ - Yamato

/My younger sibling mentioned him/  
/Talks about Takeru a lot, mentioned Takeru had a brother/  
/Name was Yamato/  
/Sorry, I'm assuming a lot./ - Taichi

You glance at Takeru, rolling your eyes. "Does Hikary have a brother?"

"Eh? Yeah, his name is Taichi. I've met him a couple of times, going over to Hikari's." Takeru says, breaking into whatever he had been saying. "Why do you ask?"

"I've apparently been talking to him. He asked me out for coffee earlier today." You say, stopping outside your apartment door.

"That's cool," Takeru grins.

/Your sibling is Hikari, yeah?/ - Yamato

/That would be correct/ - Taichi

/What a small world/ - Yamato

You fiddle with your keys, unlocking the door and walking in. "What do you want in way of snacks for tonight?"

"I think Hikari is bringing stuff." Takeru says and you glance at him. "Do you have any of our old books on mythology?"

"Why do you want those?" You ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Because, we both know that we come from old blood. Hikari is looking into the mythologies because that's what he's interested in." Takeru shrugs.

"The mythics were more than just old blood." You snort. "Speaking of, the next weekend I have off, want to go out to the forest?"

"That sounds like fun." He says with a smile. "It's been too long,"

"I know, but we both have been busy." You grimace at the thought, shaking your head. "It'll be nice to go out again. What's Hikari looking into?"

"Angels, mostly." Takeru says with a grin.

"Well, that is definitely an interesting thing to look into. Any specific kinds, or just angels in general?"

"General," Takeru says, grabbing a drink from the fridge as you flop down on the couch. You iddly flip through the tv, watching some program or another until there was a knock on the door. You hear Takeru answer it, listening to them talk for a moment before picking yourself up from the couch and waving at them.

"I'll be in my room. Let me know if you want take out, I can get you something. Hello Hikari, nice to meet you." You say.

The teenager smiles, nodding at you. "Nice to meet you as well Yamato,"

"Yeah yeah, if we need anything, we'll let you know." Takeru says and you roll your eyes at your brother. You retreat to your bedroom, sitting down and pulling out a book to read.

****

"Hey, I was hoping you'd be here!"

You glance up from your spot in the corner, nodding at him and shutting the book. "I said I would meet you." You say with a smile. "How are you doing Taichi?"

"I'm doing pretty well. What are you reading?" He glances at your book and you push it over to him. "History of the Wolf Demons? That's not light reading at all."

"No," you laugh. "It's written by an ancestor of mine. Been in the family for a long time."

"Who was your ancestor?" Taichi asks.

"Yamato," you say. "I was named after him, I think."

"I heard that the mythic wolves were wiped out a long time ago." Taichi comments.

"I believe that my ancestor was one of the last to get to know the wolves." You say with a grin. "But, that's not what we're here for. You believe in reincarnation?"

"Or destiny, there's a lot of names for it." Taichi says with a grin. "But, this would be specifically reincarnation, you are right about that."

"I can take in your ideas and see what sticks." You say after a moment. "Your sibling is very interesting, by the way. Very nice person."

"Hikari can be a pain, but when he has friends he cares for... Well, he'll do anything for them." Taichi says with a grin. "I've met Takeru a couple of times. He seems like a good kid."

"Yeah, it's been me and him since I was about sixteen." You say, resting your hand on the book in front of you. "Our parents died in a car accident. I got custody of Takeru and it's been only us since."

"That must have been hard." Taichi says.

"It has its ups and downs. I wouldn't say it was hard, but it wasn't always easy, that's for sure." You shift in your seat, glancing up at Taichi.

"You know what the strange thing is?" Taichi asks and you cock an eyebrow at him.

"What?" You ask.

"I feel like I've been chasing you for years. For life times throughout the lives I've lived." Taichi says with a small smile.

"I think that's the cheesiest thing you've told me." You decide, watching him. "You think we've lived multiple lives, and that we've been friends in all of them?"

"No, just in some of them." He says. "Some of them...." He shrugs. "I think we were meant to find each other. You've heard of the mythic wolves, correct?"

"The wolf demons of the forest. They were wiped out several hundred years ago. It was very sudden, and no one was ever pinned for it. Of course, this was back in the past where they wouldn't have been wanted. They were demons afterall." You snort, shaking your head.

"Why do you find that funny?" Taichi asks, raising an eyebrow.

"They didn't kill all the wolves. There was one, a human that had been taken in, that ended up living through it. He happened to be out of the forest when the slaughter happened. This human gained the powers of the mythic wolves and went on to avenge all of the wolves that were his family. Of course, this was unproved."


	15. Mythic Wolves Add Scenes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Additional scene that did not fit in the other chunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was separate. Why? I have no idea, but enjoy.

"Hey Takeru, you're not so secret admirer is back."

You let out a sigh, crossing your arms and glowering at Hikari. It's your fourth month of visiting and you can hear Garuru letting out a warning howl to be careful before letting you go.

"He's not my secret admirer," Takeru snaps, turning to glower at you. You jerk a thumb towards the edge of the woods, arching an eyebrow at him. "I'll be back in a couple of hours," he adds and the two of you begin to walk.

"So, how's it going?" you ask, hands in the pockets of your jeans. They're old cast offs of Taichi, the other being nearly the same size as you. You are taller, but you apreciate the offer of clothes that they had given you.

"It's fine, school is starting up again. Are you going to follow me there too?" He asks.

"No, i have no inteions to. YOu know what they said. We are doing this for our safety." You say with a shrug. "And perhaps I like seeing Taichi,"

"You two argue, almsot constantly." Takeru points out.

"Okay, I'm learning a lot about the human world. THat's interesting to me." You say after a moment.

"Are you wanting to come here afterall?" He teases.

"No," you mutter. "Garuru made you something,"

"Made...me something?" Takeru asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I may have helped him make it." You add after a moment. You take your bag off your shoulder, kneeling down and opening it. "If they ask, it's okay to tell them that I gave it to you. But... He thought you could use something to help you." You pull out the pelt, offering it to him.

"It's...a wolf pelt?" He asks, taking it and looking it over.

"Yes, we fashioned it to fit you." You explain. "It'll probably be more of a jacket than mine looks...but Garuru thinks highly of you." You say after a moment.

You watch Takeru pull it on, looking at the pelt turned jacket. "How do you make it?"

"We start with the skin of an animal, and then use magic to make the hair change to be similar to a mythic wolf's pelt. It takes quite a bit of time." You say with a shrug. "if anyone asks, you can't tell them what type of fur it is."

"Then why give it to me?" Takeru asks.

"Think of it as..." You hesitate, trying to find the best way to describe it. "Free passage, if you wish to come see Garuru, in the forest. He trusts you. The pelt means that you can come see us, if you want."

"But...why trust me?" Takeru asks, glancing over his shoulder.

You shrug. "That would be a question for Garuru. There's not much I can actually do if you tell someone about the wolves. But, if you do, I can kill you. That's about the extent. They would have to do damage control, deal with whoever comes, whoever believed you. Which means they, in turn, would be less trusting of me." You shift, standing back up and shouldering your bag. "The council believes that you won't tell, Garuru has convinced them of that. I told Garuru that you are trustworthy. The pelt is a sign of that trust that you and I have built. In turn, you can enter the forest and any of the wolf pack will take you to Garuru. It is his fur that went into the pelt."

"This is his?" Takeru asks, running a hand up and down the sleeve of the jacket, amazed by how soft it was.

"Yeah, it'll offer you a sort of protection. Not as strong as a hide of a wolf, but as close as an outsider can get." You say.

"And yours?" He asks.

"Garuru's dead mate," you say without missing a beat. "They died shortly before Garuru found me. He thought of it as a sign, that he was meant to take me in."

"Is there any story you can tell me that isn't depressing?" Takeru asks.

"Probably not," you say with a shake of your head. "But, that's just how life is with the wolf pack."

"Mythic wolves? Aren't those the things everyone wants to kill?"

Your eyebrow twitches, and you go very still. You count out ten heartbeats then turn, pouncing on Taichi and knocking him to the ground.

"I could kill you," you say, voice low. "Why the fuck are you following us?"

"Yamato!" Takeru cries, darting forward and tugging at your shoulder. "You can't just-"

"Why?" You ask, voice flat.

"That would be murder?" Taichi suggests.

"You shouldn't have been listening. If you hadn't been an idiot, you wouldn't have died. Simple as that." You snap, your gaze trained on the kid. You can feel him struggling against you, but you know he won't be able to push you off.

"H-Hey!" Takeru says, tugging on your shoulder. You shrug him off, watching him with a snort.

"Even the youngest pup knows how to stay on balance." You shift your weight, keeping Taichi pinned and glowering at Takeru before sending up a piercing howl. You see Taichi's eyes widen in horror as you stand up. "I'll be in touch,"

You're off in a heartbeat, hearing Takeru shout something after you.

*****

"What...the hell?" You breathe, watching the retreating form of Yamato.

"You dumbass," Takeru says, glowering at you. "Why would you listen in on a private conversation?"

"I was curious what you guys were always talking about." You say after a moment. "I...I am sorry? He was joking about the killing thing, right?"

"I don't think so, but you aren't dead so..." Takeru sighs, pulling off the jacket and drapping it over his arm.

"What is going on?" You ask.

"I am not allowed to tell you," Takeru sighs. "But, I will."

"What happened when you disappeared?" You ask, crossing your arms.

"I ran into Yamato. He was raised by the wolf pack that everyone talks about. They're demonic beings, but Patamon says they're okay to visit. I think he led me to the clearing in the first place."

"Patamon being....?" You ask.

"My guardian angel," Takeru says with a sigh.


	16. To Hold A Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shrugs?*

Daisuke/Ken/Takeru of some sort

Magical AU?

No digimon(?)

Childhood friends who were separated. As teenagers, ended up fighting with each other?

*************************************************************************************************************************

Takeru looked up as he heard the footsteps come down the stairs, his gaze settling on the figure that entered.

"Have you prepared?" He voice inquired, Takeru inclining his head.

"Of course I have prepared," he said softly. "I don't suppose there is a reason for this?" He turned, blond hair falling in his face. He was young, no more than nineteen, though his voice sounded older. His eyes were sharp, tracking every movement of the figure near the entrance.

"I wish-" the man began.

"No, it...it is meant to be, regardless of what yhou wish Yamato." Takeru said softly, pushing himself up from where he had been kneeling.

"That's not-" he began.

"One of hope, one of kindness, one of miracles..." Takeru shook his head. "I told you, it does not matter."

"To throw-" he tried, Takeru stepping towards him and lightly resting a hand on his shoulder, his gaze sad.

"I'll miss you brother," he said softly.

"It's not..." Yamato sighed, gathering his brother up in a long hug. "You leave too soon."

"I'm nineteen," Takeru said with a shake of his head. "How much longer can I wait, secluded away from the world?"


	17. Digimon Demons AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You had fled, wanting to leave it all behind.
> 
> Now, it's all come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I really went through a *phase* last year winter/early spring.

"Koyo, be careful!"

You let out a sigh as your son runs ahead of you. You job to catch up, leaning down and catching hold of his hand.

"Come on, Ican walk on my own!" He protests, trying to shrug you off.

"Oh no, you're not getting off that easily." You tell the seven year old. "Come on Koyo, how was school today?"

"I guess it was okay," the kid says, letting his gaze slide away. "The kids are still making fun of me. I don't get why." He adds, glancing back up at you. "Are we still going to be able to do something fun this weekend? It's a long weekend and we haven't been able to do anything fun for a while."

"Yeah yeah," you say, adjusting your hold on his school bag. "What do you want to do this weekend?"

"I don't know," he says with a shrug, taking your hand. "Can we go to the park?"

"The park, again?" You pretend to groan. "We can go to the park, and have a good meal out, how about that?"

"What about a movie marathon?" Koyo asks and you think about it for a moment before grinning down at him.

"A movie marathon, huh? Well, I suppose..." You pretend to think about it a moment longer before nodding. "I suppose that's something that we can do." You continue to walk, your gaze sweeping the area. And your heart skips a beat when you realize that someone is following you.

"Dad?" Koyo asks and you pause for a moment.

"Want a piggy back ride?" You ask, enjoying the way he giggles and nods. You bend down, letting him position himself on your back before you stand. You had moved his backpack to be hooked over your chest, so he could be more comfortable. You continue to walk, adjusting your grip on him to be more comfortable. It's ten minutes to your apartment and you can feel the eyes on you....

You reach your apartment and set Koyo down, unlocking the door and handing him his backpack. "I'm going to the check the mail. Will you start picking out the movies you want to watch tonight?" You ask, watching him run off. You lock the door of the apartment behind you before heading down the stairs, stepping outside into the bright sky.

"He's cute,"

You turn when you hear the voice, crossing your arms over your chest. "long time no see Takeru, what can I do for you?" You ask, keeping your voice as steady as possible.

"Maybe I wanted to check up on my big bro," Takeru says with an easy grin. "See what you've been up to since I last saw you. You went and got a kid, how cute."

"Just tell me what you want and get out." You suggest, watching Takeru's grin morph into a frown.

"That's not very polite. You should invite me in, so I can meet my nephew. That would be the polite thing to do." Takeru comments, examining his fingernails as he talks. "Oh, but he probably doesn't know anything about me, does he? It would be a shame if someone told him...."

"If you approach him, I will kill you." You say, voice flat. "Tell me what you want and get out of here."

"They're calling a meet," Takeru says, voice matching your own disposition. "They told me to come and collect you. There's a decision to be made, and they want you there."

"I'm not going," you comment. "I told them, when I left, that was it. I-"

"You don't have a choice." Takeru says, voice dead as he cuts you off. "They want you for the meet. They will have you for the meet. Did you forget what happened last time that you ignored them Yamato?"

You meet the young man's gaze, shaking your head. "Even if there was a meet and they needed me there, I cannot go." You say. "Immunity,"

Takeru snorts and grins. "You really think that they'll let you claim that? I doubt they will, seeing how they want you to be there. Find a babysitter, I don't care. They want you there brother."

"And I'm telling you," you say. "I am not playing their games."

"Fine, fine, I'll pass along the message. I guess we shouldn't expect any less from the great betrayer, Yamato." Takeru comments. "You know you're a giant joke? I'm not even sure why they want you back, to be honest."

"Just leave," you suggest and Takeru gives you a two finger wave, turning away.

"They're going to come after you," he says over his shoulder. "They won't send just me next time."

You head back up to the apartment, Koyo still looking over movies as you plop down on the couch. Koyo puts in the first movie and you think over Takeru's words, wrapping an arm around Koyo protectively.

****

"The park?"

You roll over, blinking blearily into the face of KOyo.

"What time is it?" You ask, throwing an arm over your eyes. It's bright in your arms, meaning that the curtains had been pulled away to let the light in.

"About seven," Koyo says, sitting on your bed. He nudges your shoulder, a hopeful look on his face. "Breakfast, than park?" He asks.

"Okay," you say, pushing yourself up. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"French toast," he says and you raise an eyebrow but oblige, making the french toast and listening to Koyo tell you about his grades in school. You nod along, excusing yourself to get dressed. It's two hours later when you head into the park with Koyo. There's no one else around and you sit on a bench, a book in your lap. Koyo looks at you and you nod in encouregment before he runs off.

It's twenty minutes later when you see him frown and return to you.

"What's up?" You ask, taking in his flushed face.

"There's a man, over there." He says, pointing and you follow his finger. You see Takeru leaning against a tree, cleaning out under his nails with a knife and you feel the urge to growl at him. "He wants to talk to you."

"Did he talk to you first?" You ask, biting back retorts about stranger danger.

"Yeah... I'm sorry dad," Koyo says and you get up, ruffling his hair.

"Go play, I'll see what he wants." You say, feeling Koyo latch onto your hand.

"Why does he look a lot like you? He says that he knew you." He comments.

"Let's ust...he's my brother. We don't see each other much anymore. Go play," you suggest and Koyo lets go of your hand, running off. You make sure he stays on the equipment before looking at Takeru. You walk over, crossing your arms over your chest and staring him in the eye.

"Told ya they weren't going to let up." Takeru comments, tucking the blade away and waving at you. "So, what happened to the kid's mom?"

"She died," you comment and Takeru raises an eyebrow.

"You run away, get married, have a kid...kill the wife?" He asks. "Isn't that a little cold, even for you Yamato?"

"She died in a car accident three years ago you idiot." You snap. "I told you yesterday, I'm not going back. I'm not playing their games."

"See, I didn't even bother trying to tell them that. I thought it would have been easier to just...I don't know, convince you instead of going back and forth. We're under new management, and he wants you back. Bring the kid for all I care, I don't think they'll hurt him? Hell, actually, does he have an abilities? They would-"

Takeru ducks as you swing at him, your teeth gritted as he ducks your punch. "I swear I'm going to gut you." You growl. "What happened to...?" You watch as Takeru laughs, his head thrown back.

"They were killed, of course." He says with a wave of his hand. "Ken couldn't wait for his own chance. Challanged both of them to a fight. You should have seen it! THey still tell stories of the great fight. See, the old bats always thought that you would be the one that would take over. But no, you went domestic. Man, I think Ken would actually get a laugh out of this. He's not going to be happy, but he'll get a laugh out of it. Dark humor, you know?"

"I'm not going." You say, takin a step back. You hear the voices of other parents and kids enter the park. You keep your eyes on Takeru and he grins.

"You think you have a choice?" He asks, all mirth dropping from his voice. "You thought you had a choice when you went domestic, that you could just leave behind what you were raised to know. You see, our parents kept a close eye on you. I knew that you had a kid. That your wife had died, that you moved to a small apartment. You went domestic, it's kind of sickening."

"Are you going to kidnap me?" He asks.

"No, but we'll kidnap your kid and drag you out if we need to." Takeru says and your head snaps to where Koyo is playing with another kid. "If we kidnap your kid, you'll come to us. It's a win-win really."

"You touch him, I hurt you." You say, unable to think of anything else. The thought of them-

"Then stop arguing and come on Yamato." Takeru says with a roll of his eyes. "If I go back and tell him no, you won't come, he'll send someone after...Koyo was his name? Yeah, he'll send someone after Koyo and you can bet that it won't be pretty. You ignored him last time and Sora died. You ignore him again... Well, you know what Ken is like."

"I never even saw you, last time..." You hesitate and Takeru shrugs.

"If you don't come, we will take that road." Takeru says, voice flat. "I don't want to do that to you Yamato."

"Then say you couldn't find me." You suggest. "Say that you tried, but you couldn't."

"I wish I could, but I was given a task. I don't think you want someone else to go after you and Koyo, do you?"

You hesitate, turning to look over your shoulder. When you look back, Takeru is gone. You turn back around, watching Koyo play with the kids and take a breath.

"It's okay," you tell yourself, returning to your spot but not picking your book back up. You watch Koyo, thinking over the threat. You nearly jump when Koyo touches your knee and you look at him.

"Can we have lunch before going home?" He asks and you nod, scooping him up.

"What do you want for lunch?" You ask. As you walk, you feel eyes on you, but even with a glance over your shoulder, you can't tell if anyone is watching you or not.

****

"Yamato!"

You turn, Takeru joining you in line at the noodle stand.

"Koyo, meet your uncle Takeru," you say, gesturing behind you at him. "If he ever offers to take you anywhere, please run the other way."

"Why?" Koyo asks.

"He's a terrible person," you comment, tightening your grip on his hand.

"I'm not a terrible person, but thanks. Nice to meet you Koyo," Takeru says with a smile.

"Is it true you're a terrible person?" Koyo asks and Takeru glances at you.

"I mean, if your father never told you about me, I suppose it's true." He decides, scratching the back of his head in thought. "Of course, it depends on your version of the word 'terrible', you know?"

"He's six," you say, moving up in the line.

"At the age of six-" Takeru says and you cut him off, pressing a hand over his mouth. You grimace when he licks your palm, but you don't pull away.

"If you continue that sentence, I won't buy you lunch." You warn and Takeru raises an eyebrow. You pull your hand away, wiping it on your pants as Koyo giggles.

"You're willingly buying me lunch?" He asks and you nod with a sigh.

"If you just, stay away from any of the topics, just...eat your lunch and leave." You suggest.

"Why does Takeru have to leave?" Koyo asks. "Didn't he just get here?"

"Yes, but he has to go home today." You say, glaring at Takeru as he opens his mouth.

"See, Yamato and I used to have a lot of friends the same. They want to see Yamato this coming weekend. You should convince your father to take you and meet everyone." Takeru says with a grin, squating down to meet Koyo's gaze. "I think it would be great to meet his family and childhood friends. What do you know about your dad?"

"I'm going to hurt you." You growl, Takeru flashing you a grin. Koyo looks at you, uneasy.

"Are you actually going to hurt him?" Koyo asks and you shake your head.

"Of course not," you say, stepping up to the window and order. Takeru jumps in with his own order and you resist the urge to smack him. You had promised him lunch...

"So, you coming next week?" Takeru asks when you sit down.

"Going where next week?" Koyo asks and you take a breath to center yourself, resisting the urge to smack your brother.

"There's a family reunion next week and they want Yamato to come. But he seems really stubborn, just like when we were kids. I was sent to see if he would be interested in coming. But, if he doesn't want to come, I was also told to see if you wanted to come. It would just be for three or four days and I"m sure you'll have fun playing with all the other kids." Takeru says, shifting his attention to Koyo.

"Daddy doesn't like talking about his family," the boy comments and Takeru nods solemnly.

"There were a couple of arguments before he left and met your mother. I'm sure he's happy with you, but they say that family is important." Takeru comments. "Do you know anything about your family?"

"I see mama's mother sometimes." Koyo comments. "But she hasn't been doing too well lately. Daddy?"

"I hate you," you told Takeru, watching your younger brother grin. You shift your gaze to Koyo, raising an eyebrow in question. "Yes?"

"Why don't you visit your parents?" He asks.

"Well....they aren't alive at this point." You say and Takeru nods in agreement. "But-"

"I think you should go." Koyo says and you close your eyes and let out a deep breath.

"What would I do about you?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. "I can't just leave you home alone for a week."

"Take me with you." Koyo comments. "I'm curious about where you came from."

"Taichi likes kids," Takeru says between mouthfuls of food. "I'm sure he would be able to watch Koyo for you while you're there."

"I hate you," you say, setting your bowl down in thought. "I'll meet you at the train station Wednesday afternoon," you add, calculating how much time you would have. "I have to make arrangements for his school and..."

"Deal," Takeru says, pulling out his phone and sending out a text message. He gets up from the table, taking the disposable bowl ith him. "And Yamato?"

"What?" You ask, Koyo watching in interest.

"If you aren't there, it won't be pretty." He says with a smile. "It was nice to meet you Koyo. See you Wednesday afternoon!"

You finish your food, Koyo accepting the silence.

****

Tuesday morning, you and Koyo sit on the train, the boy reading a book as you look out the window. You have several bags packed, and so far, Sora's mother had been okay with you dropping Koyo off for the week. You had made arrangments to get Koyo's work early.

"Are we still meeting up with Uncle Takeru tomorrow?" Koyo asks, marking the page in his book and looking at you.

"I don't think that'll be happening." You say. "We're visiting your grandmother for the week. You'll behave for her, right?" You ask and Koyo nods.

"Will you be okay?" Koyo asks after two stops had passed you by.

"We'll be okay," you promise, hugging your son to your side. "I just...I love my brother, but it's not a place I would want to take a child, ya know?"

"No," Koyo comments, returning to his book. You bring him out of the reading when it's time to get off. When you reach the platform, you see Toshiko and Koyo grins, shouldering his bag and waving at his grandmother.

"Hello Toshiko, how are you?" You ask, following behind with the second bag of Koyo's belongings and a bag of your own.

"I'm doing well, looking forward to spending the week with Koyo," Toshiko says with a smile. "And what will you be working on?"

"I had some...family stuff that came up. I didn't want to drag Koyo into boring family stuff, and figured..." You shrug, glancing over your shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of him on such short notice."

"It's not a problem dear," Toshiko says, taking Koyo's hand. You pass her his second bag of belongings.

"He has all of his homework for the next week and I should be here next Wednesday to pick him up." You explain. "If you need to contact me for any reason, he has a cell phone in one of the bags that'll be able to reach me. And if there's anything needed, I have some extra money-"

"We got it dad," Koyo says with a smile.

"Yes Yamato, we'll be okay." Toshiko laughs and you sigh, raising up your hands in defeat.

"I'll see you next week, promise," You say, kneeling down and hugging Koyo. You kiss his hair before ruffling it, standing up and looking at his grandmother.

"See you next week!" He says and you have to run to catch the train before it departs again. When you pull out your phone, you have a text from Koyo, promising that everything will be okay.

You sit back in your spot, closing your eyes and worrying that you had done the wrong thing.

****

It's several more hours before your train reaches the destination. You get out, slinging your bag over your shoulder and looking into the forest. There's a small village just on the outskirts of the station and you stop, grabbing several bottles of water.

"It's dangerous to go into the forest boy." The man says when you put the water on the counter.

"Yeah, I know." You comment, glancing over your shoulder. "But I thought it looked like such a nice place to go camping, ya know?" You flash him a smile and he grunts.

"We're getting less and less travelers out this way. Those that do make it through the forests say that there's a clan of vicious monsters that live out there. If you don't want to get eaten, boy, I would suggest you take the next train and leave the town as quickly as you can." A female voice comments and you glance towards her.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but this isn't something that I can put off." you explain, shaking your head.

"We don't find bodies in the woods," the man snorts as you hand over the money for the water.

"Have a lot of people gone missing then?" You ask.

"Yeah, the demons are on the rise. You're going to get yourself killed." The woman says, voice more gentle. "Is there anything we can do to presuade you to stay?"

"No, sorry." You say, putting the water in your bag and reshouldering it. "Thank you for the warning."

The two look at each oter and simply sigh, bidding you a farewell. You set yourself on the path out of the village, squaring your shoulder and let your mind drift to the last time you had walked this road eight years ago. You were eighteen and desperate to leave. There had been no thoughts on where you would go, or what you could do, but you had done your best and left it all behind. You had met Sora, had Koyo and...

You shove the thoughts aside as you begin to walk along the path, out of the small village. You see the markings for the end of the cultivated land. You pause at the boundary line, considering the options. You could leave, run Takeru ragged trying to find you. But you only had the week off of work, after explaining to your boss that something family related had come up. He looked surprised to know that you had any family. You still had half a day before Takeru was supposed to meet up with you. And, as long as he wasn't just watching you, then Koyo would be safe with Toshiko until you could finish up whatever business and be on your way.

"A fucking demon base in the middle of the woods," you snort as you begin to walk once more. You see several started glances your way as people working in the fields call after you, telling you it wasn't safe. You decide to ignore them, stepping over the boundary and walking on the faded path.

It doesn't take you long to leave the village behind. The forest is peaceful and you wonder what could have driven the villagers off. It's another hour before you have to dodge an attack, throwing up a guard and turning on your heel. You scan the area, listening to the sounds. The animals are silent and you count to ten before stepping to the side.

You reach out, grabbing the arm of the person who rushes past you.

"Okay, what the hell?" He asks, struggling to pull away. You stare at him, not recognizing him as you tighten your grip.

"Who are you?" You ask.

"Shouldn't I be asking-ow, fuck!" He growls as you twist his arm up higher.

"You have a tell. Once the animals go silent, you don't rush your attack, you wait. You waited exactly ten seconds to rush me, and you snapped a branch. Who are you?" You ask, letting your nails dig into his skin.

"Fuck-ow, okay! Holy shit, let up!" The boy whines and you let go just a bit. He squirms just a moment before you retighten your grip. "My name's Daisuke, fuck."

"So, I heard that Ken took over?" You ask, releasing him. He takes a step back, leveling a stare at you.

"What's your name?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest. You lean over, snapping the band of his goggles.

"Did Taichi teach you?" You ask. "He has the same exact tell. Ten seconds after the initial attack, he'll charge. It's a terrible tell."

"Daisuke!"

You grin as the boy takes a step back, glancing over his shoulder.

"Damn it Daisuke, where the hell are you?"

"Yo, Taichi! Your idiot apprentice has the same exact tell as you, you know that?" You take a step to the side as the ball of fire comes speeding your way and count ten seconds before reaching out, tackling the man that came out of the forest. You drop him to the ground, resting your knee into his spine.

"Yamato?" Taichi asks, moving to look up at you. "Where's Takeru?"

"Eh? I gave him the slip like....yesterday? Two days ago? I figured that he would have come back here when he realized I left." You say, taking a step back and offering Taichi a hand up. "Really, you need to work on your tell, it'll never get better and not if you pass it down to someone else."

"You are the only one that doesn't fall for the trick." Taichi snorts, picking himself up. "No, but really, what are you doing back without Takeru?"

You shrug, adjusting the bag straps and shaking your head. "I don't know." You admit after a moment. "I was supposed to meet up with him tomorrow, but something came up. He said I was wanted here."

"No way, this is Yamato?" Daisuke asks, gesturing towards you. "You're like a legend, no way you're actually him."

"A legend, huh?" You ask, turning your attention to Taichi. "Why is it so important that Takeru is here?"

"Well, just that.... Ken was prety clear on the whole, 'bring Yamato back with you, dead or alive.' Didn't think you would show up by yourself." Taichi says, scratching the back of his head.

"What the fuck?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. "Why is he so intent on having me back here?"

"I don't know," Taichi says with a shake of his head. "But, we're having a full on meeting, so... Everyone's coming back, that's still alive, that is."

"And how many have died?" You ask.

"Four," Taichi says and you see Daisuke watching the exchange. "One of them was your father, of course. The other three... I don't remember their names, but they were on the lower end of the spectrum."

"And did Ken end up killing him for the position or...?" You press.

"Not sure," Taichi admits. "Its not clear, that is."

"Okay, can I get clarification on stuff?" Daisuke asks, raising his hand. "What the hell is going on? Wasn't Takeru supposed to escort him back here?"

"I don't do things that I've been told to." You say with a snort. "Look, regardless if Takeru was supposed to show me here or not, I'm here. Can we get over with this? I have somewhere to be next week and I don't plan on missing it."

"Jeez, you're an interesting character." Daisuke says. "What is it that you're....even doing?"

"Living a life outside of here." You say with a roll of your eyes. "It's boring out here."

"Did you find your life then?" Taichi asks and you let your gaze settle on him. His hands are gripped at his sides, teeth clenched.

"I found a better one." You comment idly. "I enjoy it more than I ever did being here. I may have been born and raised, but it doesn't matter."

"You know that we miss you." Taichi says and turns, heading down the path. "Who knows if Ken will be upset that Takeru isn't back. Probably, he's a dick."

"Hey now," Daisuke says, hurrying after Taichi. "He's just been-"

"What's his ability?" You ask, keeping your attention on Taichi and Daisuke in your periphial view.

"Virus," Taichi comments. "Not sure what the full extent is, but its pretty powerful. I would hate to get on his bad side..."

"What are you?" Daisuke asks, running ahead and stopping in front of you. 

"I'm not getting into a pissing contest with you." You decide, eyeing Daisuke. "But you're what....ancient? Dragon, probably. Taichi is also ancient, dinosaur vs dragon however."

"Dude, you know it's scary when you do that." Taichi comments. "Especially on people that don't know what you're doing. Daisuke, go ahead and let Ken know that Yamato is here. We'll follow on the lower trail."

"But-" He tries to protest.

"Go," Taichi instructs and Diasuke grumbles, unfurling wings and taking off. You watch him, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Was I right?"

"Yeah," Taichi says with a nod. "So, really, what have you been up to?"

"Does it matter?" You ask, glancing at him. "I mean, I wanted to leave it all behind. I wasn't planning on coming back."

"What did Takeru threaten to get you back?" Taichi asks and you purse your lips, deciding it would be better to not say at all. You feel Taichi poke you, and you lazily slap his hand away. "Come on, it's been so long since I've seen you. Can you at least tell me what you've been up to? I mean, it's been so long. I've missed you."

"No, the less you know, the better it is for everyone." You decide. The both of you fall into a tense silence, your hands in your pockets as you think.

It's about two hours before you reach the main housing and you feel a shiver run through you as you step through the barrier. You turn your head to each side, taking in the scents and snorting.

"It's been a long time," Taichi says, resting a hand on your shoulder. "Welcome home, Yamato."

You see several different people turn to look, murmurings spreading through the village. You tip your head, letting your eyes flash.

"I won't be staying, not for long." You murmur, making sure only Taichi could help you. You feel shivers go down your spine, the influx of demonic power scrambling your senses momentarily before you resettle yourself.

"Yamato!"

You turn when you hear your name, seeing a man walking towards you. Daisuke scurries after him, his wings hanging out in the comfort of the village.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, finally. I have heard many stories regarding you." The man says and you offer him half a smile.

"And you're Ken?" You ask, arms crossed over your chest.

"That would be correct." He says, brushing strands of hair out of his face. "I am glad that you have returned to us. Where is Takeru?"

"Probably still back in the city." You say with a wave of your hand. "I came on my own. I have to be back within a week. I won't be staying, apologizes if it bothers you that I'm not."

"Oh?" Ken says, folding his hands in front of him. "How interesting to hear. I am so....displeased that he did not come with you."

"Hey man, he's my brother, but we can't always be attached at the hip." You point out, and you feel several pairs of eyes on you.

"I suppose," Ken says quietly. "Come, we will have a discussion in my home. Taichi, humor me. Come with us, will you?"

"Sure," Taichi says, following Ken. You walk two paces behind him, letting your senses slowly unfurl from their cooped up place inside. Your gaze heightens and you slowly bring your smells up to date. It's several minutes before everything is back in proper place and you raise your head, stepping into the cool house.

Ken gestures to the small table in the middle of the room, Taichi kneeling down at one place and you take the other. Ken sits across from you, staring you down.

"Yamato Ishida, the great Betrayer. I am honored that you have humored me and returned. We, as I am sure Takeru has mentioned, have a meet this weekend." Ken begins, Daisuke setting down a pot of tea and pouring out four glasses before taking a seat next to him.

"Yes, I heard." You say with a nod, taking the cup of tea and sniffing it politely. You take a sip when you don't detect anything dangerous in the tea. "What I don't understand is why you wanted me to attend the meet?"

"Well, it is an important meet." Ken comments after taking a long drink of his own tea. "And you are important. We don't have one of your...standing in the village anymore."

"In my standing? Do you mean betraying or...?" You tip your head, watching him.

"Your type of demon," Ken comments. "With your brother taking after his mother, and your father dead, you are the only type of your kind left."

"I suppose that would make it interesting to have me here." You say, letting your gaze slide to Daisuke. He seems on the edge of his seat, trying to figure out what you may be. "Are we truly that dead?"

"They hunt you for the pelts, of course your kind is nearly dead." Ken says.

"Okay, what kind of demon is he?" Daisuke asks, breaking into Ken's comment. "I'm dying of curiousity."

"I think that was a new record." Ken comments, letting his gaze soften when he looks at Daisuke. "What, three hours?"

"Yes," Daisuke says. "I want to know,"

"Demon wolf," you say. "Full, but it's hard to find full blooded demons now a days."

"But Takeru isn't a demon wolf." Daisuke interjects.

"Different moms." You say with a shrug. "It is possible, ya know?"

"I..." He frowns, shaking his head and you let out a sigh.

"Seems like he's about as dense as you," you tell Taichi, glancing at him.

"Hey now," Taichi says with a sigh. "You aren't wrong, but I still will take offense."

"I'm not dense." Daisuke shoots back, shaking his head. "I'm just a bit slow."

"That's the same thing," Ken says gently, patting his shoulder.

"The meet," you say, taking his attention once more. "What is important about me being here for it?"

"You will see." Ken says, finishing his tea and setting the cup down. "And Yamato?"

"Yeah...?" You ask.

"Your son is cute." Ken says, getting up from his seat and walking away. You stare at Ken's back, eyebrow twitching.

"I'm going to kill something." You say, standing up and turning to leave the house. It takes you less than a minute to traverse the main village clearing. It's a half a minute before you're in the forest, running for the first time on four paws.

****

"Enjoy your run?"

You snap your head to Taichi, eyes dull as you drop the bloody carcess by his doorway. "Am I staying with you?" You ask, ignoring his question.

"Sure, the guest bedroom is up." Taichi says, glancing down at the carcess. "What...is with the...?"

"Dinner," you say, heading up the stairs and to the guest bedroom. You glance at your bag, striping out of your soiled clothes and changing into something clean. You hear Taichi come up the stairs, opening your door.

"I'm not cooking that for dinner." He points out.

"I'll eat it raw, but it's tradition to bring your host a gift." You say, turning to look at Taichi.

"So...you have a kid?" Taichi asks. "Guess you liked the human world more than your father thought you would."

"Yo, Taichi, do you know you have a...animal carcess in your doorway?" You push past Taichi, stalking towards the door to see Takeru standing there.

"I hate you." You say, pushing past him. Takeru glances at you, letting out a sigh.

"He wasn't going to let me do anything else, I'm sorry." He says and you look at the sleeping child on his back. "Ken's an asshole, but Koyo was asleep the entire time we came here. His grandmother is fine, won't remember anything that happened."

You take the kid from Takeru, heading back into the house. "Is there a reason he wants to make sure I stay here?" You ask, Takeru turning and leaving with a wave over his shoulder. Taichi stares, glancing between you and the carcess in front of his door.

"I don't know," Taichi says quietly. "He's cute, though."

"Her name was Sora," you say, laying Koyo on your bed and throwing a blanket over him. "She had the brightest smile I had seen in a long time. I met her about two or three months after leaving here. She was the first human to talk with me. She was...happy, carefree. And when she had Koyo, both of us were walking on air. It was the happiest day of my life, by a longshot." You murmur as you walk out of the door, shutting it behind you.

"You never wanted to stay here." Taichi says, letting out a sigh. "I get that you didn't want to stay here but..."

"What was the last thing I told you?" You ask, meeting his gaze.

"There was a lot of things you said to me before you left. How was I supposed to know what was important or not, Yamato?" Taichi demands, pressing a hand into your chest. "You left without even saying goodbye, you know that? Your father was crushed when you woke up and you were gone. No one could find your trail. You didn't even leave a note."

You look down at his hand, pushing it away with your own. "Had it been my way, I wouldn't have come back. But... I'm glad I get to see you again."

"You could have left a note." He points out. "And what am I supposed to do with the animal carcess?"

"Cook it for dinner." You point out. "It's polite to bring your host an animal carcess for dinner."

"Are you seriously playing by those rules?" Taichi asks, gapping.

"Yes, so... I think I'm going to lay down for a nap with my kid. Will you wake us up for dinner?" You ask, taking a step towards Taichi.

"I guess I can teach Daisuke how to butcher a deer. We can have venison steak for dinner." Taichi says with a sigh. "But if you're going by the old rules...is this the-"

You cut him off, tangling a hand in his hair and pulling him down for a kiss. You expect him to push away, but he doesn't. When you do step back, he stares at you wide eyed.

"Old consort rules?" You say, a hint of a question in your voice. "If you want me to back off, I can also totally do that." You say quickly.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" He asks.

"yes, and I will put my kid first, but... I do miss you." You mumble, turning back towards the door. "You're the only reason I regret leaving this place."

"And what are you going to tell the kid?" Taichi asks.

"I...don't know yet." You admit. "I will think of something. Now, you might actually want to do something with the dead animal. You're getting attraction and it'll start to go back in the next...eh, forty-ish minutes if you don't do much about it." You point out.

Taichi curses, pulling out a phone and calling Daisuke. You listen to a rushed conversation as he walks away and you walk into your bedroom. You push the soiled clothing into the bottom of your basket, looking through the bags that Takeru had helpfully left for Koyo and you sigh, sitting on your bed and looking at the six year old.

"Life would be a lot less complicated if Ken wasn't an ass," you decide, stroking his hair before laying down next to him, laying an arm over the blanket he had over him and dozing, the sounds and smells of the village drifting up to you.

****

"Why do you have an animal carcess in your doorway. More importantly, why am I the one that has to help butcher it?" Daisuke complains.

You glance at him as you go through the steps, eyeing the pelt and deciding it would make a nice return present. You run your hands through the wihte fur of the deer, shaking your head. "Yamato is a dick and wanted dinner. I mean, he'd probably eat the thing raw if he thought I wasn't going to cook it. Be careful with the pelt, I'm going to salvage it."

"You never cook for me." Daisuke comments, doing as he's told. "What's so great about Yamato anyway? I've heard that he betrayed his own kind. He left and...he just shows up out of the blue?"

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't his actual choice to be here." You point out, beginning to pull out the guts and place them in the bowl. You grumble under your breath, seeing Takeru across the way. "Hey, Takeru, get over here!"

Takeru glances at you but does as asked, ambling over and raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?" He asks.

"Help us gut this thing." You say, gesturing to the animal with bloodied hands.

"Why me?" Takeru asks, pointing at himself with a raised eyebrow. "It seems like you and Daisuke have it just fine."

"Come on golden boy, get down and help us." Daisuke says, chucking a piece of liver at Takeru. He catches it, grimacing and tossing it in the bag.

"You know that won't actually be edible for tonight." Takeru comments.

"He offered to eat it raw. I'd rather butcher it and eat it later than... You know what, have you ever seen your brother eat raw meat? That is the worst thing and I don't want to relive the experience. Do you have any venison steak that I can have?" You ask.

"Wait, he would actually eat this raw?" Daisuke says in disgust, his voice going up several octives.

"Yes, it's not the prettiest sight either." Takeru says solemnly. "If I supply steaks, will that get me out of helping you butcher this?"

"I have to throw it over the rafters to drain the blood." You comment. "You help me do that and get me steaks, I still spare everyone the sight of Yamato eating raw deer."

"Okay, seriously, are you joking or not?" Daisuke asks, crossing his arms and realizing that he got blood on him. He groans, beginning to help you again with the deer.

"No," both you and Takeru say at the same time. You grimace, getting up and finding the rope. You eye the rafter, looping the rope over it and beginning to tie it to the front hooves of the deer. It's several minutes before you and Takeru get the thing lifted all the way up.

"Is this going to scare Koyo?" Takeru asks, stepping back to admire the work of the now gutted deer.

"Fuck if I know," you say with a shrug. "I'm saving the pelt," you add to Takeru. "It's going to make a nice throw rug."

"Are you back to that already?" Takeru asks and Daisuke throws his hands up in frustration, unable to follow the conversation. "You know he has a kid, yeah?"

"He's the one that started it by bringing the carcess to my door." You say with a snort. You glance at Daisuke, walking over and patting his shoulder. "It's an old form of demon courting. You and Ken jumped right into it. The older school has rules to go around, depending on species and the like."

"I think I know way too much. What does the carcess signify?" Daisuke asks, pointing to it as you collect the insides and move to step in the house.

"A gift of thanks. Normally in courting, the one that intends to start out the dance will bring the intendee a carcess, to initiate the process. Or, when you let your ex-lover crash in your spare bedroom. I think in Yamato's case, he was just angry and needed to process thoughts and decided killing was the best way to do it. But seriously, I don't think he's been back more than five hours. He couldn't have been that far ahead of me." Takeru points out.

"It's nearly five pm, he got in around eleven or so. Ken even talked with him." You comment, shaking your head. "And, to be fair, we never broke off being lovers. Can't really break something off if you never get a chance to talk about it. Anyway, Takeru, steaks?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm going." Takeru says, turning and leaving your house. Daisuke looks from you to his friend, his mouth hanging open.

"I was born and raised in this village." You say by way of explenation. "You may have been found to be a half demon and brought here for safety when you were younger, but those of us that were raised here... We were raised by parents who followed the old ways."

"It's not normal to bring an animal carcess home." Daisuke points out. "Even if you are staying at someone's house and trying to bring it as a thank you present."

"Wolf demon," You say simply, offering him a shrug. "What more can I say? It's in his nature. It will always be in his nature. I'm interested in how dating a human went for him."

"He wasn't lying about the wolf demon?" Daisuke asks.

"I feed you bullshit. One thing about Yamato? He doesn't lie, even when he has good cause to. He will give excuses, reasons, but they all mean something to him. He won't lie, it's not... It's not possible for him to lie. If he tells you anything, especially related to himself, he is not lying. Besides, if he does lie, it's always really easy to tell." you explain and glance up the stairs, wondering what sort of lies Yamato had been feeding his son these past years.

"And the kid?" Daisuke asks, beginning to wash the blood from his skin.

"Don't have an answer for that one, but definitely not human." You say, tapping your nose. Takeru walks through your door, throwing a package on your table before walking back out. "You staying for dinner Daisuke?"

"Dinner with my mentor and probably what will be the most interesting person in the village for weeks? I'm not passing that up." He grins.

"Then go home, get changed, and be back by seven." You call, watching him scurry off. You head upstairs yourself, taking a shower and changing into clean clothes. An hour and a half later, you're cooking food, Daisuke nattering on about something from the kitchen table.

****

The smell of food makes you groan. Your head aches and you wish that you hadn't gone out the way you had. It's another couple of minutes before you manage to push yourself up on the bed, pulling off the comforter that someone had thrown over you. When you blink, you see Koyo sitting in a chair in front of a desk, working on his homework tat he would have otherwise missed out on.

"Hey kid," you mumble, yawning and listening to your jaw pop back in place. You rub your hand along it, the taste of blood still in the back of your throat.

"Dinner's almost ready," Koyo comments, glancing up from his homework. "Some funny kid with goggles said that it would be ready in about ten minutes."

"Was it-" you pause when you hear a crash from downstairs, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, probably." You mutter, answering your own question as Daisuke's voice reaches up to you. You take another moment to gather your thoughts, considering what you might tell Koyo.

"This is your family home?" Koyo asks curiously.

"Eh, not really. This is the home of my childhood best friend though." You say, getting up and running your hands over your wrinkled shirt. "His name is Taichi,"

"Then who's the one with the weird looking face?" Koyo asks and you muffle a laugh when you hear someone protest beyond the door.

"Daisuke, don't know much about him. Looks like he's hanging on Taichi's every word though." You say, holding your hand out to Koyo. "Shall we head down then?"

He sets down his pen, taking your hand and hoping off the chair. "Will you show me around in the morning?"

"I suppose I can." You say after a moment, wondering if he would be able to see through the glamour. You press a finger to your lips, quietly creeping to the door and shove it open, listening to the resulting 'ow' from Daisuke.

Koyo giggles and you pick him up, resting him on your hip and walking out of the door. "Have a nice trip?" You ask casually, looking over to the teenager.

"Maybe you should see if people are behind doors before opening them." Daisuke suggests.

"Maybe you shouldn't stand behind doors people might open." You retort back, Koyo looking at him in interest.

"Jeez, that's...something that's great to teach a six year old." Daisuke says, rubbing his head and glowering at you.

"I'm smart enough to not stand behind doors." Koyo points out and you nod in agreement.

"Dinner's ready," Daisuke grumbles, running down the stairs head first. You let him, walking more slowly behind.

"He's funny looking," Koyo comments and you eye the back of Daisuke's shirt.

"How so?" You ask.

"His shirt looks bulky," he comments and you mentally sigh, shaking your head.

"Just don't mention it to him, I'm sure he's sensitive about it." You suggest, following your nose to the dining room. Koyo squirms in your grip and you let him down. He looks at Daisuke, who has taken a chair and then at Taichi, tipping his head to the side curiously.

"Nice to meet you," Taichi says, turning to meet his gaze. "You look a lot like your dad, you know that?"

"You're probably going to die soon." Koyo comments, turning away and getting into a chair. You glance at him, startled before looking at Taichi, who was staring at Koyo with a frown.

"That's not doom and gloom at all." He says, putting a plate of meat and salad on the table.

You sit next to Koyo, offering him part of your teak and giving each of your just enough salad to not get a comment out of Taichi. "I'm sure he doesn't mean anything by it." You offer.

"We'll just...not talk about it." He says, taking his own seat. He grabs a steak, Daisuke taking it as the time he can get his own food. He offers you a hard stare, glancing at Koyo before returning his gaze back to you.

Koyo doesn't make a comment, beginning to eat. You dig in as well, Taichi grimacing as Daisuke opens his mouth. He nudges Daisuke with his elbow, shaking his head.

"So, what does Koyo know?" Taichi asks curiously.

"That you're weird family." Koyo comments, looking up from his plate. "Daddy doesn't talk much about his family though, only that he doesn't have any where we live."

"Did he tell you why?" Taichi asks.

You glower at him, watching your son from the corner of your eye.

"Well, he says he left home when he was eighteen. He met mommy a couple months after moving to the city and they got married before I was born." Koyo offers. "He left home cause it was sufficating and he didn't want to do what his dad wanted him to do. I got to meet Uncle Takeru over the weekend. He looks funny."

"Does everyone you meet look funny?" Daisuke grumbles.

"No, mostly just the people here." Koyo says with a shrug, shoving more food in his mouth.

"Ah, do you know anything about your heritage?" Taichi asks curiously.

"Mama was a priestest," Koyo comments.

"She was practicing to be one." You correct. "She had foresight abilities,"

"Right, grandma mentioned it once or twice." Koyo says and Taichi raises an eyebrow at you, mouthing something that you decide you are better off not catching.

"So...anything else you can do?" Daisuke asks curiously.

"I can do basic math," Koyo comments.

"Look, he's already smarter than you." Taichi says, ruffling Daisuke's hair. Daisuke shoves his hand away, rolling his eyes and grumbling under his breath.

"And how is your life going Taichi?" You ask, turning your attention to him. He opens his mouth, half chewed food visable and you quickly look away as he swallows.

"Eh, I suppose it's going okay. Can't really say that much has changed here in the past eight years. I mean, I can say that things have changed, but really not by much. I think your brother is dating Ken? I don't remember." Taichi says, tapping his fork against the table.

"He was, they broke up about three months ago." Daisuke commnts, looking up from his phone. "Ken was angry about something and Takeru couldn't figure it out, so they split."

"And your goal to get on Ken's good side is...?" Taichi presses.

"I got stuck with you, how do you think it's going?" Daisuke retorts.

"You two seemed pretty chummy when we had tea earlier." Taichi points out. "Just saying, I think it's a dangerous path to be walking. He's not exactly..."

"Sane?" Daisuke supplies and you mentally sigh, Koyo listening to the conversation curiously.

"Well, I mean, there's that. He's probably no more sane than anyone else around here." Taichi decides. "But, really, are you trying to get yourself tossed out when he's done playing with you?"

"I doubt he'll do that." Daisuke comments. "I'm at least smart enough to not piss him off."

"Who's Ken?" Koyo asks, interrupting whatever Taichi had been about to say.

"He's sort of the leader of the group." You supply. "He took over when the previous leader died. Being out where they live, you have to have a pretty good grasp on who's here and who you can trust. Thus, they have a leader to keep everyone under check."

"That's not..." Daisuke trails off when you glare at him, your eyes narrowed.

"Why don't you start on dishes?" Taichi suggests, Daisuke getting up and collecting the plates that were empty. You gladly stack yours on top of his stack, Koyo doing the same and offering Daisuke a friendly smile.

"Will you go upstairs and take a bath?" You ask your son, turning your attention on him. "There is supplies in one of the bags. It'll be the second door on the right from the room we're staying in."

"I suppose," he says, hopping off his chair and doing as you asked.

"You really haven't told him anything about your heritage?" Taichi asks once he's out of hearing range. You offer him a shrug, turning to look up at him.

"No," you sigh.

"How do you hide turning into a giant wolf?" He asks.

"Surprisingly, you don't have many chances to do that in the cities. It's almost like saying, 'Yo, Koyo, I'm a demon and totally fell in love with a in priestest trainie and lead her to the path of corruption' to my son is out of the question." You comment, idly scratching the side of your jaw.

"I think I don't believe the most is the priestest. Was Sora really a priestest?" Taichi asks.

"In training. She saved me from being killed by the spirit of the shrine she was working at. It sensed me as a threat and she managed to talk it down. Nicest thing a girl ever did for me. Ya know, after she threw holy water on me and tried to exorcise the demon from me. It took a couple of days to convince her I wasn't going to eat her." You muse. "Of course..."

"I don't want to hear about the person that replaced me." Taichi says after a moment.

"She didn't replace you." You say, leaning across the table and gentle touching Taichi's cheek. "But, I'm surprised you didn't move on while I was goen." Yo usay, withdrawing your hand before he had the chance to slap it away.

"I mean, I went out with Koushiro a couple of times, but it wasn't quite the same. I figured, if you never came back, I would be okay with that. But, if I have to lose you again..." Taichi sighs. "How much demon do you think he has in him?"

"He hasn't been around any others. So... I'm hoping it'll stay repressed. But being here, I don't know what will come out. It's why I didn't want him here in the first place. But Takeru is dancing to Ken's strings, isn't it?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. "How did that even happen anyway?"

"Well, he was friends with Ken before he took over. They started dating, and when Ken took over, Takeru just...sort of followed along. He's gotten harder to deal with since you left. Before he started being friends with Ken, he refused to talk to anyone. Ken was the first to get him to talk. He felt betrayed that you would leave. And..." Taichi shrugged. "Daisuke showed up at the village about a month after Ken got Takeru talking again. The three become inseperable. About four months later, your father was found dead and before anyone knew it, Ken managed to take over. He's young and smart. It's a terrible combination and he can be cruel when he wants to be. But no one really protested. This was about a year after you left, by the way. They all thought that you would come back. Takeru left, said that he would take word to you that your father was dead. When he returned empty handed...."

"I don't think he ever found me. I was living at the shrine. if he was trying to track me, he would have never..." You run a hand through your hair, trying to decide what to say before simply shaking your head. "I can talk to Takeru ,see if there is something that did change about him."

"Why do you care now?" Daisuke asks, coming in and slamming his fist against the table, meeting your gaze. "You left him here by himself. His dad died, his mother was nowhere to be found. He only had you and you were willing to leave him. What does it matter to you now?"

You meet Daisuke's eyes, tilting your head in thought. "You grew up outside of the demon village, yes?" You ask.

"Yeah, I suppose. It was another compound with demons. But they fought to the last. This is peaceful in comparison to there." Daisuke comments.

"You wanted to leave there, from a young age. You felt like you never fit in, right?" You ask dryly and he glowers at you.

"What's the point?" He asks.

"It was the same way for me. I didn't want to be here. This," you gesture around the house. "It was never my style. I wanted to be elsehwere. Yeah, we're safe here and we can be demons as we want. The village down the road is terrified of even coming close to this place. They tried to warn me off. I didn't want to come back. But, that's not the point. Of course it's not the poitn. The point, I suppose, is why I left Takeru behind?"

"Yeah, so get to it." Daisuke suggests.

"Because I needed space from a brother who clung too tightly. I was, and still am, selfish. I wanted to be on my own for a while. I left things behind that I didn't want to. I'm angry that I left Takeru to battle with whatever he had to battle with. I'm angry at myself for needing to leave Taichi around. But, I did it to find myself. And you know what? Sending me my brother, with the broken look in his eyes, is just pissing me off." You comment. "He was never that way when he was younger. He was full of hope and desire. Now, he just looks broken. So, not only am I angry that I have to be here for some meet that I don't even want to be part of, now I have to deal with some smug asshole that probably killed my father for his spot. A smug asshole, by the way, that at least seems to care for my brother in some capacity. And I have a son I want to protect from ever finding out about any of this. So, if I find out that you mention anything about demons and all that to him, you will be the one strung up outside Taichi's house about to be carved for meat."

"That's just an empty promise." Daisuke says, taking a step back as you grin at him.

"Please, try and push me and I will show you just how much of an empty promise that it will be. Now, we can do this the easy way, or I can enjoy a run for myself. But, pass along a message to Ken for me, will you?" You ask and Daisuke eyes you up and down.

"I could probably take you in a fight." Daisuke says.

"I doubt it," Taichi offers in return.

"You tell Ken that if his whole reason for dragging me here was baseless, I will kill him." You say, your eyes flashing and you feel a feral growl rise in your throat. "And if he harms my kid, it's going to be very, very painful."

Daisuke takes a step back before quickly walking out of the house. You slump down on your chair, rubbing your head and heaving a sigh.

"How badly do you think that will go over?" You ask Taichi.

"He'll either find you very disturbing, won't actually tell Ken..." Taichi ponders it for a moment, frowning. "Ken will probably take it all as a joke. But really, you didn't used to hand out so many death threats in a day. What happened?" He asks.

"I had a kid," you say with a shrug.

****

"How interesting,"

You look up from where you're reading and leaning against where Ken was sitting on the couch, paying only slight attention to Ken and Daisuke's conversation. You feel a hand touch your hair, Ken running his fingers through it.

"I mean, I think he's joking?" Daisuke says, voice raised in a question and you flip a page in your book, remembering the look of anger he had given you.

"He has a temper on him," Ken comments and you flip another page, having given up on the actual reading of the book in interest of the conversation. "He has his own pack now, so he will be more interested in protecting his son. But... What devotion does he feel he has to give Taichi?"

"They were bonded," you throw out, turning another page and taking in several sentences. "They never broke the bond before Yamato left the first time."

"What's the book about?" Ken asks.

"Werewolves," you muse. "This girl is going to be her pack's leader but they found out they were experimented on. When they break the curse, they end up being animals. But they have to find four artifacts in order to break the curse that was placed on them." You say, turning another page. "It's useless young adult fiction, but I find it entertaining."

"So what should we do about your brother?" Ken asks curiously, and you feel his fingers brush your scalp, his nails scratching the skin ever so lightly.

"That's up to you." You say after a moment. "I really have no say. He left me behind,"

"How cute," Ken muses and you flip another page as you feel the nails dig into your scalp. "How is your training going Daisuke?"

"Just fine," he says, shiting from foot to foot. You see his wings hanging from the slits in his jacket. He shuffles for a moment, flaring his wings and thinking. "What are we planning for the meet?"

You turn another page in your book, reading the words.

"It's going to be interesting, that's for sure." Ken murmurs softly, going back to playing with your hair. You shift ever so slightly against the couch, tipping your head back for better reach. Daisuke nods and you see his gaze skitter over you and Ken. "Have you had dinner yet Daisuke?"

"I ate a bit at Taichi's, but I'm always good for more food." He says and Ken gets up.

"Takeru, will you go make dinner?" Ken asks, turning to look at you.

"Yes," you say, getting up from your spot and putting your book on the table. You head into the kitchen, beginning to make food for you three.

****

You grumble, tugging the blanket over your face as you feel Koyo prodding you in the back.

"Come on, I'm bored dad." He whines, tugging at the blanket. You tighten your grip on the blanket, letting out a groan.

"Go do homework," you grumble, sighing when he got the blanket out of your grasp.

"I'm hungry," he says, poking you in the shoulder. "Come on daddy, please? Food?"

"Okay, food." You say, rolling out of bed and rubbing your head. You remember drinking with Taichi once you had sent Koyo to bed. It had been several hours until you tumbled into bed and... "Let's go get food," you say, pulling on a clean pair of pants and heading downstairs. You grimace when you hear snoring from Taichi's open door.

"Pancakes?" Koyo asks hopefully.

"Not sure if Taichi has the ingredients. What about french toast?" You ask, looking over the stuff Taichi has.

"I suppose," he says, sitting down on a chair. You pull out the food stuff, using the rest of the bread and eggs. You hear Taichi get up several minutes later, taking an empty chair as you place a plate of french toast in front of both him and Koyo.

"This smells great," Taichi says, taking a deep breath of the french toast. He begins to eat, Koyo keeping his gaze on you and waiting until you join them with your own. "I think I've missed your cooking the most Yamato,"

"I'm glad you missed something about me." You snort, rolling your eyes and yawning. You begin to eat, Koyo taking that as a sign to begin eating as well.

"Does Uncle Takeru live here too?" Koyo asks, bringing his gaze up to look at you. YOu shove more food in your mouth, taking the time to figure out a response.

"He lives in the village, but not this house." Taichi offers.

"Are we going to see him today?" Koyo asks curiously.

"I don't know," you say after a moment, swallowing your mouthful of food before Taichi could answer for you. "I guess...maybe? But I know he's busy doing whatever it is he does. What does he do?" You ask, looking up at Taichi.

"I don't think it's child appropiate." He offers and you glance at your son, frowning. "Oh! He does work for Ken,"

"Like a receptionist?" Koyo asks and Taichi glances at you with a frown, tilting his head to the side.

"Sure," he says when you nod at him that it was an okay comparison, even if you didn't know exactly what it was that Takeru even did.

"What are we doing today?" Koyo asks, taking your attention once more.

"Eh?" You frown. "Probably staying indoors, enjoying each other's company."

"But I want to go out and look at stuff." Koyo comments. "You know, explore and the like."

"It is pretty safe here..." Taichi says and you sigh, finishing off your food.

"Why don't you go get dressed and finish your homework for the day. Then we'll discuss it." You suggest, Koyo letting out a groan before trudging upstairs. You collect his plate, Taichi following you to the sink.

"Why don't you want him outside?" He asks, leaning against the counter as you begin to clean.

"He doesn't know," you say simply. "And... There's a block on his sight, but I don't know how much longer that will last. There are things I can't explain to him Taichi."

"That you're a demon?" He offers. "Isn't that something that's pretty basic to tell a child that you are related to? I'm pretty sure your parents never kept that fact from you."

"The point," you say through gritted teeth as you shoot him a glare.

"The point being, he's going to find out eventually." Taichi says, holding up his hands. "Are you telling me that for...eight years, you kept your demonic heritage a secret?"

"It wasn't that hard," you admit, scrubbing the plates harder than necassary in the sink. "When I was at the shrine, I was taught how to push away the demonic nature. It was hard, at first. But after seven years? It was hard opening up my senses again when I got here."

"So, when you go back, are you going to pretend that none of this exists?" Taichi asks and you let out a slow sigh.

"I don't know," you admit. "I guess it depends on him."

"How will it depend on him?" Taichi asks and you turn to look at him, staring into his eyes before dropping your gaze.

"If he can actually see, if the block on his mind is gone. I will have to explain it to him, soon. But see, I don't know if he inherited anything from me. He's so much like his mother..." You sigh.

"He looks like you, down to the eyes." Taichi protests.

"I know, it's a little bizarre to look at some days." You chuckle. "What would you do if you had a mini-you runnning around?"

"I would pray to whatever would listen that he didn't turn out the way we did." Taichi says with a straight face before he's laughing. You shake your head, trying to decide how to respond.

"Do you think I should tell him?" You ask, once Taichi has regained his composure.

"You're asking me for advice on child raising?" He asks, widening his eyes.

"I'm asking you if I should tell him about this," you say with a gesture around you. "That's hardly 'advice on child raising' as you so put it." You scoff.

"The truth is hard to come by," Taichi says quietly. "We grew up in this, honing our powers and abilities, knowing that the outside world would kill us if given the chance. I watched your brother break himself over the thought of you leaving, time and again. If you tell him the truth, it would mean giving him the choice to stay here. If you don't tell him the truth... He discovers abilities that'll alianate him from humans and he'll only blame you for not telling him the truth." Taichi explains.

"Huh, when did you get smart?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. You tip your head forward, cushioning it on your arms as you think about the issue in front of you. "If I tell him..."

"You at least go forward knowing that regardless of what Ken does, he can't be hurt by something that you kept a secret." Taichi points out.

"He's six," you try to argue.

"And at six, we were getting into more trouble than your father knew what to do with." Taichi shoots back. You take a breath, closing your eyes and considering the options before you.

"Fine," you say finally, letting the answer dangle in front of you for several more minutes before you pick up your head. "Fine,"

"Just fine?" Taichi asks, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to impart on me what you decided?"

"Now why would I do that?" You say with a smirk, resting your hands on the table.

"Because you asked me for the advice!" He protests.

"The meet is on Friday night, right?"

"Saturday,"

"Okay, it's Wednesday now... Tomorrow, I'm going to take Koyo to the woods. Do you want to join us?"

"It depends on what you're doing?"

"I'm going to show him, and then we're going to have a talk. Or, you can stay here and distract everyone from the fact that I'm gone."

"Fine,"

"Fine?" You cock an eyebrow, watching Taichi.

"Now why would I give you an actual answer?" Taichi says, standing up and shaking his head at you. "I'm still upset that you left. I'm angry that you didn't give me the chance to go with you. I understand why you did it, but I'm still angry and upset that you left the way you did."

"I know," you say, voice quiet. "There's no reason for you to not be upset by it. I am going to tell him, you're right that I should do it now rather than later."

"Tell me what?"

You nearly jump when Koyo comes down the stairs, turning to look at him with a smile.

"Now, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you now, instead of tomorrow." You comment.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Koyo asks.

"Your dad, you, and I are going on a picnic in the forest." Taichi says with a grin.

"Cool," Koyo says, glancing at you with wide eyes. "Does he mean it?"

"He went and spoiled the secret," you say with a dramatic sigh, slumping back in your chair and halfway across the table. "How could you have ever thought to do something like that Taichi?"

"You're not...usually this dramatic," he says, and you flash him a grin. Taichi raises an eyebrow but shrugs, turning to look at Koyo. "While Yamato pretends to be liquid across my table, do you want to see more of the village?"

"Sure!" Koyo says, clapping his hands together. You quickly pull yourself together, glaring at Taichi when Koyo raced to find his shoes.

"You are going to be telling him eventually. MIght as well let him see the village beforehand. You already mentioned there was a block on his sight." Taichi says and you sigh, but nod in agreement and get ready to go.

"You're on babysitting duty. I'm going to the woods for a run." You say.

"Don't bring back any dead animals!" He shouts after you.

"I'm not a cat," you say with a snort.

"You act like it." He responds and you elect to ignore the comment.

****

"Yamato!"

You pause at the edge of the forest, turning when you hear your brother's voice. You frown, concerned when you see the dark shadows under his eyes. "What's up Takeru?" You ask, slipping your hands into your pockets.

"I wanted a chance to catch up." He says, his gaze sliding to you. He matches your pace, his own hands in his pockets as well.

"Uh huh," you say with a frown. "Why did you bring Koyo here?" You ask, stepping into the forest and feeling yourself relax. You had missed the presence of life when you had moved to the city. There wasn't much that you missed about your home, but the forest was a big part of it.

"I was told to," he says quietly. "If I hadn't gotten him, it would have been Daisuke, and he would have been much worse. I...wish I didn't have to."

"You bonded with Ken," you guess and you see Takeru nod.

"It's not all bad, it's even fun sometimes, when he's in his good moods." Takeru shrugs. "Everyone has bad days," he adds. "But I'm not going to talk about myself. I want to catch up with you."

"Talking about yourself means that we are catching up." You point out, closing your eyes and enjoying the sound of the forest. You glance towards the village, jerking your head in the oposite direciton. "I don't trust anyone out here. Let's go a bit further in and then we can sit and have a talk."

"No one really goes into the forest." Takeru offers and you frown.

"That was one of the reasons that we were out here. We had the freedom to go into the forest around us. We wouldn't run into humans...it was the perfect set up." You say.

"Yeah, after you left and our father died, if demons wandered into the forest by themselves, they turned up dead." Takeru explains. "Those who are left shun the forest as much as they can. There are still a few, like Taichi and Daisuke, that tend to go into the forest. Of course, you woudln't have an issue being out here. And if there are groups of three or more, then there hasn't been much of an issue. But one or two demons? They tend to go missing."

"And it's not humans that are causing them to go missing. The human village was adement in me not going into the forest. How do you do your trading with them now?" You ask, judging the distance you had walked from the village proper. You decided to double the distance, wanting to put as much as you could between yourself and Ken before you talked to your brother.

"We haven't. We've been self sufficiance for about two years now. I believe that some of the demons got a little too excited and started killing the humans that wandered too close." Takeru explains. "It's gotten out of hand, since our father died."

"How did he die?" You ask finally, the question nagging at you.

"It's not clear," Takeru admits. "He went on a hunt, with several of his friends. Ken, I think, went with them. He came back with father's dead body. It..." He hesitates. "I thought that Ken had killed him, but I had no proof."

"Of course," you say quietly. "Are you okay being here, Takeru?"

"I don't know." Takeru admits, looking around the forest. "Before you left, did yo ubreak your bond with Taichi?"

"No, why?" You ask with a frown. Talking about bonds was personal for demons. It didn't come up often and you shouldn't have brought it up with him and Ken but...

"I want you to be careful." Takeru says. "I just...something bad is going to happen, I don't know what and I want you to be careful, okay?"

"I can be as careful as any one of us can be." You say finally. "If it comes down to it and I get challanged to a fight, I can still fight."

"If anyone challenges you to a fight, tell Taichi." Takeru insists.

"I can-" You begin.

"No," Takeru says, voice harsh. "You can protect yourself, I know. But, and I do mean this, if it comes down to someoen challenging you to a fight, tell Taichi. Do not-and I repeat-do not leave without telling him."

"Am I in danger?" You ask and see his expression shift.

"You were in danger the moment you showed up." He says softly. "I wish you had continued to ignore this, ignore us. Ignore your duties. Coming back as the mistake." He seems to almost choke on his words, lifting a hand to his throat before letting out an amused chuckle.

"Takeru?" You ask, raising a hand to him.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are things they don't talk about.
> 
> It's easy to get lost in the details, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just stopped working on this today, actually. Decided I didn't actually like the idea.

His fingers curl in the blanket, feeling the pain of the night before crash over him.

The dull ache of the migraine that was to come; the cold rush of air against his bare shoulders. The twinge in his leg when he moved it the wrong way.

The man young man shoved himself off the bed, hair falling in his eyes. It was early, the sun still not up. When he located his phone, he saw that it was barely six. With a groan, the man tossed the phone back onto the bed, sitting down and dropping his hand to his leg.

He glanced down when he felt the stickiness, pulling his hand away and looking at the dried blood before shambling to the small hotel bathroom.

He watched the water turn orange as he rinsed the blood off, gingerly aplying pressure to the cuts on his leg. They had clotted overnight, a sign that the man accepted.

He finished his shower, stepping out and grabbing a towel to dry off with. There was a twinge in his leg as he pulled on the cuts, the man letting out a grunt. From the bed, he heard his phone ring, the sound muffled from the blankets.

He bent, picking up on the phone and frowning. "Takaishi, how can I help you?"

"It's Hikari. Are you coming to the party tonight?"

Takeru tipped his head back, running a hand over his face. "I forgot, actually. What sort of venue is it?"

The woman laughed, the sound of windchimes filling Takeru's mind. "Ah, now where would be the fun in telling you if you forgot, Takeru-kun?"

"Because you love me?" Takeru responded, if only to hear the laughter that sparked once more.

"Love has no home in our relationship, dear."

Takeru grimaced, shaking his head. "Will you send me the address?"

There was a pause, the woman letting out a low hum. "What do I get in return?"

Takeru rolled his eyes. "You get to know that I came unprepared to a party," he decided on. "And you can make fun of me for it, if that so pleases you."

Hikari laughed at that, Takeru smiling and sitting on the bed. "I'll text you the address, you better not be late, Takeru. There is someone I want you to meet."

"I thought we told each other no more blind dates."

"It's for a job," Hikari responded. "The man does happen to be good looking, though."

Takeru rolled his eyes, standing up and dropping his towel. He began to get dressed, stopping only to examine the cuts.

"Takeru?"

"I'm here, just getting dressed. I have a meeting to attend shortly. I don't know if I can take on any more jobs, Hikari," he replied.

"Can you at least meet with him?" Hikari asked. "And who's the job for?"

"A woman by the screen name of Hawk. I'll get more details from her today. I haven't told her if I would accept the job or not. Seems like too much of a hassle."

"I like the sound of that, Hawk. If you don't accept the job, send her my way?" Hikari suggested and Takeru just sighed.

"How are you?" he asked, desparate to get the conversation away from himself.

There was a pause, Hikari letting out a sigh. "There have been better days, I must admit. It comes and goes, but I think tonight would be good for both of us."

"I'll see you there, then."

Takeru hung up before Hikari could have the chance to ask him a return question, pinching the bridge of his nose. He tugged on his shirt before finding his shoes, grabbing his jacket and heading out of the room once he pocketed his keys and slung his laptop bag over his shoulder.

The city around him was waking, though it was slow to do so. People going to early morning jobs, making early morning coffee runs, and he walked through the district. He felt the few people that were out give him a wide berth, side eyeing him as he stepped towards the open cafe. The smell of coffee flooded his senses as he stepped inside, shutting the door nad letting his eyes adjust to the lower light.

He waved towards one of the only other patrons, walking to the bar and placing his order.

The cafe was familiar to him, comforting as he took his seat and pulled out his laptop. His back was to the wall, his gaze resting on the door as he passed by several hours, checking on emails and various projects that were going on. When it struck ten o'clock, he glanced towards the door, shutting the laptop.

He folded his hands on the table, a smirk crossing his face as the door opened. She sauntered in, her gaze sweeping the cafe before it landed on Takeru. It was a couple of minutes before she joined him, a drink in hand.

"Takaishi."

He inclined in his head, watching as she perched on the edge of her seat. Her cup rested in front of her, her gaze darting from side to side. Fingernails tapped against the table top, Takeru sitting back in his chair and watched her.

Her hair was styled upwards, several strands falling in her face. THe purple was pretty, light to suit her complextion, and natural in a way that wasn't seen often.

"How can I help you, miss...?"

"Inoue," she responded. "I've heard you were the best."

"It depends on what you want," Takeru responded, easing into the conversation. Heh ad read over the message that Inoue had sent him just moments before the agreed upon meeting. It had been vague, vague enough for Takeru to be curious by what she could want.

"The beast I want killed," her words were percise as she spoke, her gaze never wavering, "is known as The Black Hound."

Takeru raised an eyebrow, watching Miss Inoue position herself. She was watching everyone around them, ensuring that no one accidentally overheard her words. "That is quite a man to put a hit on, Miss Inoue. I trust you have fantastic reasons to want this... particular demon dead?"

She raised a hand to the chain that adored her neck, pulling the vial out of her dress. "This is all that remained of my daughter, to whom he had raped and killed for fun. You must understand the love a mother has for her child, Mr. Takaishi?"

Takeru leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The Black Hound is a thing that must be taken care of, Mr. Takaishi."

Takeru considered the statement, nodding in agreement. "It will cost, you understand?"

Inoue raised her eyes, unshed tears clear. "I do not care the costs. Whatever it takes, I want him dead."

Takeru nodded, leaning back in his chair. "This will not bring your daughter back."

"It will prevent others from dying."

"And if someone else takes his place?"

Inoue drew in a long breath, drawing herself up with the motion before she released it in a rush. "I have very little left of my family, Mr. Takaishi. I do not want this to continue."

Takeru closed his eyes. It would have been easy to walk away, to leave her standing her but, instead, he smiled. "I will tell you what the payment will be when the job is complete, Miss Inoue."

She nodded, closing her eyes. "Do you have a timeline?"

Takeru shook his head, letting himself smile. "As of now, I do not. But, I will be in touch." He slid her a business card, standing up and nodding at her. "I will be in contact, Miss Inoue."

He walked out of the cafe, leaving her sitting at the table with an untouched drink. It was easy to return to his hotel room, gather the rest of his things and pay for the two nights he had been there. Easy to hail a cab and give the driver an address that he hadn't been to more than a handful of times before.

When he slipped out, he paid and tipped the cab, heading to the door and unlocking it. Once inside, he picked up the phone, dialing the number that was most familiar to him.

"Yagami."

"What do you know about the Black Hound?"

Takeru was already heading up to the second bedroom at the end of the narrow hallway on the second floor, looking forward to a real shower and clean clothing.

"Hello to you, too, Takeru. Why are you asking about the Black Hound?"

"Client wants me to kill him," Takeru responded, riffling through the drawers.

"Where are you?" the woman asked and Takeru glanced over his shoulder.

He waited two beats before responding, "safe house two."

"Want me to come over?"

"Please?"

"Of course, I'll be there in an hour."

The phone goes silent and Takeru places it on a side table, heading into the bathroom and taking a real shower. The water was hot and he washed the last of the blood from his leg, his fingers running over the raised cuts with a grimace.

He dressed in pajamas, toweling his hair dry and collapsing on the bed, closing his eyes. It only seemed like seconds before the door was being pushed open downstairs. He groaned, grabbing the pillow and pulling it over his head as his own bedroom door opened.

"You're a mess," Hikari clucked, stepping into the room and closing it.

"I was on a job last night," Takeru responded, pulling the pillow away from his face. "And then, I had to meet Ms Inoue this morning."

Hikari sat on the bed, running her fingers through Takeru's hair. "There is exactly three hours before the party. It's already five in the afternoon."

He frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. "But, I called you..."

"I sent you a messae to inform you I would be late. I had something to deal with, after all. It seems as if you never recieved that message. I should have called instead. Though, it looks like you did get some rest."

Takeru let out a sigh, pushing himself up. "What is the dress code for tonight?"

"I'll pick something out for you to wear. Tachikawa Mimi is hosting the event," Hikari responded.

"Oh, good. That's just absolutely perfect," Takeru grumbled, Hikari patting his shoulder with a small smile.

When he looks up, he could see the amusement in it. He closed his eyes again, shaking his head. "That woman has it out for me," he began.

Hikari just laughed, removing her hand from Takeru's hair. He reached up, his hand closing around her wrist and tugged her back to the bed. She let out a squawk, catching herself as Takeru moved one hand up, cupping her cheek and brushing his thumb along her cheekbone.

"What have we gotten ourselves into, Hikari?" he murmured.

She closed her eyes, letting out a sigh. "I wish I knew."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding Hikari close. It was peaceful, the pair of them comfortable. It was easy to be like this, to accept the silence. And, just as he had accepted it, he knew it wouldn't last. She was already moving when he pulled his arms away, laying out flat on the bed.

"Do I have to go?"

There was a sigh, Hikari tossing something onto his stomach.

"Yes, you do. Now, if we don't leave soon, we'll be late."

"It's a party, do we have to show up on time?"

He wavered under the look, sitting up to look at the clothes that Hikari had thrown at him.

"It's not on time, per say. I have to meet with Tachikawa prior to the party. You," she said, leveling him with a stare, "are my backup."

"Will you help me with the Black Hound?"

Hikari paused, tilting her head. Hair cascaded in front of her face, her eyes wary as she regarded him. "You were serious."

Takeru nodded, pushing himself off the bed and changing shirts. It was a moment of hesitation before he tugged his pants down, boxers covering up the worst of the cuts as he pulled the pants on.

"You promised you would stop," Hikari murmured, voice soft as she stepped towards Takeru. He met her gaze, shrugging.

"It stopped for a couple of months," he admitted and she took his hand, her thumb brushing over his knuckles.

"Yamato?"

He nodded, grimacing. There were few topics that the pair dared not to speak about and their brothers was one of them.

"You could have called me."

"You were out on a hunt. I'll be fine, Hikari."

She met his gaze, shaking he rhead with a sad smile. "You're going to try and track down the Black Hound."

He nodded, closing his eyes and pulling his hand away from her. "I'm going to do a job, that's all I'm going to do. I don't have a timeline. Now, you said that we have to leave soon?"

Hikari raised an eyebrow, giving him one last look over. "Yes, just brush your hair and we'll be on our way."

Takeru rolled his eyes, getting up and heading into the bathroom. He grabbed the brush, quickly running it through his hair before tying it back, and meeting his gaze. There was dark circles under his eyes, the light casting fast shadows down the cheekbones.

The clothes Hikari had given him were curve hugging. He tugged at the sleeves of the shirt, walking out of the bathroom and finding his boots. Hikari was perched on the edge of his bed, a book in hand.

"How come we don't come here more often?" she inquired, looking up for a brief moment.

Takeru raised an eyebrow. "Possibly because it's a safehouse and we're hardly in this area."

Hikari set the book aside, meeting Takeru's gaze. "I suppose that's true. It's well stocked. We should come back here, tonight."

Takeru just shook his head. "We could come here tonight. But, I don't know how tonight is going to go."

Hikari got up, walking over and taking Takeru's hand. She tugged him down the stairs and they left the safehouse behind, Takeru glancing over his shoulder. He felt bare as Hikari led him to a car, tapping on the window.

The driver rolled it down, looking over the pair. "Miss Yagami and company?" he inquired, Takeru unable to place his accent.

"That would be us. You're here to take us to Miss Tachikawa's party?"

The man nodded, unlocking the door. Hikari got in first, Takeru joining her. The ride was silent, Takeru taking the time to stare out the window.

***

The house that the driver pulled up to was grand. Takeru took it all i, raising an eyebrow as the man got out, opening the door. He slid out, Hikari following. A maid stood at the end of the driveway, Hikari striding towards her. Takeru followed, keeping his hands in his pockets. Already, he felt out of place as the maid led them inside.

The entrance was decorated for the winter ball, the chandeler sparkling as the maid swept up the stairs, beckoning them to follow. Takeru paused, Hikari glancing over her shoulder as he stopped.

"Coming?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and he picked up his pace, joining her. They headed up the stairs, Takeru glancing over his shoulder. Hikari tugged on his hand, Takeru picking up his pace. It was easy to follow the maid to the small room, leaving the pair at the door. Hikari raised her hand, knocking and pressing her palm against the door.

Takeru watched as the door was opened, Hikari smiling. The pair stepped inside, Takeru twisting when the door shut.

The inner room was covered in flowers, Takeru taking it in as he found the woman seated in the middle. Pink hair swept down her shoulder, pooling onto her lap. Her eyes flashed, lighting on Hikari and she stood. Her hair tumbled backwards, her eyes flashing as she stepped towards Hikari.

"It's so wonderful that you were able to make it, Hikari."

Takeru stood near the door, listening to the velvety sound of her voice.

"Of course, Mimi. It's always a pleasure to see you. And this must be...?" She turned her gaze to Takeru, the man meeting her gaze.

"Takeru Takaishi, he's a friend of mine. He's to help me on my next task."

Mimi narrowed her eyes, looking Takeru up and down. He stard off into the distance, the woman taking as tep back. "he's marked."

"We are both marked, Mimi," Hikari responded.

The woman let out a sigh, running a hand thorugh her hair. "Of course you are. I am glad that you were able to make it here, after all. Tongiht, there will be a man at the part that I wish to have killed. You are the best in the business, so I've heard."

"Who is it that you want killed?" Hikari asked, Takeru glancing at her from the side of his eye.

Mimi raised an eyebrow, placing her hands in her lap. "There is a man that raises the dead. He uses them as puppets. He's a demon, of a sort. A man that obtained too much power, before transforming to what he is."

"And he'll be here tonight?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, his name is Osamu Ichijouji. He will be here with several people, though I cannot garuntee when he will arive."

"The Black Hound."

Takeru glanced up when he spoke, his gaze resting on Mimi. She cocked an eyebrow, smirking.

"So you do have a tongue. How pleasant," she giggled, Hikari stepping in between them.

"This is not the time for your games, Miss Tachikawa."

Mimi let out a huff, sitting in her chair. "The Black Hound, as your partner so aptly called him, has become a burden to our way of life. If he keeps killing, the humans will learn. We need to keep our lives a secret, so we are not hunted to the last of us."

Hikari nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "We can do it," she decided. "As long as you don't mind things getting... painful, at your party."

Mimi smirked, her features turning harsh as she met Hikari's gaze. "I like a little blood spilled, my dear. If you can do that, I would appreciate it."

Hikari nodded, glancing over her shoulder. "That is something we can do. As for payment..."

"You can ask after payment when the job is done. If you can make it decent, I will reward you handsomly."

Hikari nodded, bowing to Mimi. "We'll need to gather the layout of the place. I would hate to make a mistake while we're hunting him down."

She nodded, flicking her fingers at the door. "Sora will show you around," she tittered, her gaze landing on Takeru. "If you would like to have a little fun tonight, my dear, you know where to find me."

Mimi smirked as Hikari pulled Takeru out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

"She's an incubus," Takeru murmured as they stepped outside and shook himself off.

"Perceptive. She does enjoy taking control of men. I did tell you not to talk," Hikari mused. "This will help you with your own job, will it not?"

Takeru nodded, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. "There's a lot of things i don't understand. How did you end meeting her?"

Hikari smirked, turning to Takeru. "She enjoys a lot of things. Most incubi are male. She is rare, but often uses it to her gain. As you can see, she is quite happy here."

"She's the one you've been seeing?" Takeru guessed and Hikari let out a laugh.

"Seeing is a word for it, I would suppose. We have a mutual benefit."

Takeru rolled his eyes, the pair waiting for several minutesl ogner before another woman came from the side hall.

***

Glancing at the time on the clock, Takeru fought to muffle a yawn, running a hand over his face. It was nearing midnight, the party in full swing. He could see Hikari flittering in and out of the groups. His eyes unfocused, Takeru slumping against the wall and letting out a sigh.

"You look bored."

Takeru glanced to the side, watching the man that appeared. His hair was spiked to go every which way, a grin plastered on his face with hands tucked into his pockets.

"Not bored at all, thank you." Takeru stiffened as the man stopped in front of him.

He just continued to smile, amusement plain in his eyes. "I haven't seen you at one of these parties before. I'm Daisuke, who are you?"

"Takeru," he responded, letting his gaze flick up and down Daisuke.

"Like what you see?" Daisuke asked with a smirk.

"You're part of Clan Dragon," Takeru commented, folding his arms over his chest. He watched in amusement as Daisuke's eyes flickered from brown to red and back to brown.

"How can you tell?"

Takeru just shrugged, glancing over his shoulder. "You're not a new recruit, that much is noticable. You carry yourself with an easy of having been through many fights. I'd say you're pretty high up in the Dragon Clan."

"What-" Daisuke began.

"I take that back,' Takeru mused, enjoying the confusion in Daisuke's gaze. "You're bonded to one of the officials, but not in the Clan Dragon. You're originally from there, but you don't travel in their skies any longer."

Daisuke let out a snort, running a hand through his hair. Takeru saw the gleam of claws, Daisuke grinning. "So, what clan do you think I'm part of?"

Takeru tilted his head, giving him a closer look. "Not one of the major four, that's for sure."

"Daisuke!"

Takeru let his gaze trail to the young man that appeared at Daisuke's shoulder, his hand reaching out.

"Hey, Ken," Daisuke responded, the grin never budging.

"Ichijouji." Takeru let his gaze slide to the man next to Daisuke. He was taller, his hair hanging down to his chin.

"And you are...?" Ken inquired, his gaze locking on Takeru. The man tilted his head, gaze flicking from Ken to Daisuke before landing back on Ken.

"Takeru," he responded. His fingers twitched as Ichijouji stared at him, eyes unwavering.

"Do you have a last name?" Ken asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Takeru replied. "My name is my own business."

"Takeru!"

The man turned when he heard the voice, raising his hand in response to the call. "If you'll excuse me," he murmured, turning and walking away from Ken and Daisuke. He could feel the men's eyes follow him as he stepped onto the outskirts of the party, nodding at the man. "Hello, Koushiro, how are you?"

"Surprised to see you here." Koushiro cast him a quick up and down glance, nodding to himself. "You seem to be doing well for yourself, however. Hikari didn't mention you would be coming."

Takeru just smiled. "I'm here, tracking down the Black Hound." He spoke the words in a low voice, certain that only Koushiro caught him. There was a twitch in his eye as the man gave Takeru another once more.

"What do you want him for?" he asked.

"Yamato."

Koushiro took a step back, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you were suicidal, Takeru."

The man just smirked. "A job brought me here, as did Tachiawa-san."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's my dump for the year. There's a couple more things that aren't finished, and some stuff that I deleted before ever saving. I think this is pretty impressive for having laying around for a year. And I like to think this is pretty impressive for a year of just, not completed stuff.
> 
> Thanks for diving in and enjoy the new year!
> 
> And, I think this is something I'm going to do next year, too. A dump of all the incomplete stories, just to see how it goes.


End file.
